text:
package org.emmalanguage
package compiler.lang.source

import compiler.Common

/** Source language. */
private[compiler] trait Source extends Common
  with Foreach2Loop
  with PatternMatching
  with SourceValidate {

  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
  // Source language
  // -------------------------------------------------------------------------

  /** Source language. */
  object Source {

    import UniverseImplicits._

    /**
     * The grammar associated with the [[Lang]] objects and accepted by the [[Source.valid]] method
     * is as follows.
     *
     * {{{
     * Sym = TermSym
     *     | TypeSym
     *
     * TermSym = BindingSym
     *         | MethodSym
     *         | ModuleSym
     *
     * BindingSym = ParSym
     *            | ValSym
     *            | VarSym
     *
     * Atomic = Lit[A](value: A)
     *        | Ref(target: TermSym)
     *        | This(target: Sym)
     *
     * Ref = BindingRef(target: BindingSym)
     *     | ModuleRef(target: ModuleSym)
     *
     * BindingRef = ParRef(target: ParSym)
     *            | ValRef(target: ValSym)
     *            | VarRef(target: VarSym)
     *
     * BindingDef = ParDef(lhs: ParSym)
     *            | ValDef(lhs: ValSym, rhs: Term)
     *            | VarDef(lhs: VarSym, rhs: Term)
     *
     * Term = Atomic
     *      | Block(stats: Stat*, expr: Term)
     *      | Branch(cond: Term, thn: Term, els: Term)
     *      | DefCall(target: Term?, method: MethodSym, targs: Type*, argss: Term**)
     *      | Inst(clazz: Type, targs: Type*, argss: Term**)
     *      | Lambda(params: ParDef*, body: Term)
     *      | ModuleAcc(target: Term, member: ModuleSym)
     *      | PatMat(target: Term, cases: Case*)
     *      | TypeAscr(expr: Term, tpe: Type)
     *
     * Loop = DoWhile(cond: Term, body: Stat)
     *      | While(cond: Term, body: Stat)
     *
     * Stat = BindingDef(lhs: BindingSym, rhs: Term)
     *      | Loop(cond: Term, body: Stat)
     *      | VarMut(lhs: VarSym, rhs: Term)
     *      | Term
     *
     * Case = Case(pat: Pat, guard: Term, body: Term)
     *
     * Pat = PatAlt(alternatives: Pat*)
     *     | PatAny
     *     | PatAscr(target: Pat, tpe: Type)
     *     | PatAt(lhs: ValSym, rhs: Pat)
     *     | PatConst(target: TermSym)
     *     | PatLit[A](value: A)
     *     | PatExtr(extr: PatExtr', args: Pat*)
     *     | PatQual(qual: PatQual', member: TermSym)
     *     | PatVar(lhs: ValSym)
     *
     * PatQual' = PatConst(target: TermSym)
     *          | PatQual(qual: PatQual', member: TermSym)
     *
     * PatExtr' = TypeTree(tpe: Type)
     *          | UnApply(qual: PatQual', unApp: MethodSym)
     * }}}
     */
    object Lang {
      //@formatter:off

      // Empty
      val Empty = api.Empty

      // Atomics
      val Atomic = api.Atomic
      val Lit    = api.Lit
      val Ref    = api.TermRef
      val This   = api.This

      // Bindings
      val BindingRef = api.BindingRef
      val BindingDef = api.BindingDef

      // Parameters
      val ParRef = api.ParRef
      val ParDef = api.ParDef

      // Values
      val ValRef = api.ValRef
      val ValDef = api.ValDef

      // Variables
      val VarRef = api.VarRef
      val VarDef = api.VarDef
      val VarMut = api.VarMut

      // Methods
      val DefCall = api.DefCall

      // Loops
      val Loop    = api.Loop
      val While   = api.While
      val DoWhile = api.DoWhile

      // Patterns
      val Pat     = api.Pat
      val PatCase = api.PatCase
      val PatMat  = api.PatMat

      // Terms
      val Term     = api.Term
      val TermAcc  = api.TermAcc
      val Block    = api.Block
      val Branch   = api.Branch
      val Inst     = api.Inst
      val Lambda   = api.Lambda
      val TypeAscr = api.TypeAscr

      //@formatter:on
    }

    trait Algebra[A] {

      // Empty tree
      def empty: A

      // Atomics
      def lit(value: Any): A
      def this_(encl: u.Symbol): A
      def ref(target: u.TermSymbol): A

      // References (with defaults)
      def bindingRef(target: u.TermSymbol): A = ref(target)
      def valRef(target: u.TermSymbol): A = bindingRef(target)
      def varRef(target: u.TermSymbol): A = bindingRef(target)
      def parRef(target: u.TermSymbol): A = bindingRef(target)

      // Definitions
      def bindingDef(lhs: u.TermSymbol, rhs: A): A
      def valDef(lhs: u.TermSymbol, rhs: A): A = bindingDef(lhs, rhs)
      def varDef(lhs: u.TermSymbol, rhs: A): A = bindingDef(lhs, rhs)
      def parDef(lhs: u.TermSymbol, rhs: A): A = bindingDef(lhs, rhs)

      // Loops
      def loop(cond: A, body: A): A
      def while_(cond: A, body: A): A = loop(cond, body)
      def doWhile(cond: A, body: A): A = loop(cond, body)

      // Other
      def varMut(lhs: u.TermSymbol, rhs: A): A
      def typeAscr(target: A, tpe: u.Type): A
      def termAcc(target: A, member: u.TermSymbol): A
      def defCall(target: Option[A], method: u.MethodSymbol, targs: Seq[u.Type], argss: Seq[Seq[A]]): A
      def inst(target: u.Type, targs: Seq[u.Type], argss: Seq[Seq[A]]): A
      def lambda(sym: u.TermSymbol, params: Seq[A], body: A): A
      def branch(cond: A, thn: A, els: A): A
      def block(stats: Seq[A], expr: A): A
    }

    def fold[A](a: Algebra[A])(tree: u.Tree): A = {
      def fold(tree: u.Tree): A = tree match {
        // Empty
        case Lang.Empty(_) =>
          a.empty

        // Atomics
        case Lang.Lit(value) =>
          a.lit(value)
        case Lang.This(encl) =>
          a.this_(encl)
        case Lang.ValRef(target) =>
          a.valRef(target)
        case Lang.VarRef(target) =>
          a.varRef(target)
        case Lang.ParRef(target) =>
          a.parRef(target)
        case Lang.BindingRef(target) =>
          a.bindingRef(target)
        case Lang.Ref(target) =>
          a.ref(target)

        // Definitions
        case Lang.ValDef(lhs, rhs) =>
          a.valDef(lhs, fold(rhs))
        case Lang.VarDef(lhs, rhs) =>
          a.varDef(lhs, fold(rhs))
        case Lang.ParDef(lhs, rhs) =>
          a.parDef(lhs, fold(rhs))
        case Lang.BindingDef(lhs, rhs) =>
          a.bindingDef(lhs, fold(rhs))

        // Loops
        case Lang.While(cond, body) =>
          a.while_(fold(cond), fold(body))
        case Lang.DoWhile(cond, body) =>
          a.doWhile(fold(cond), fold(body))
        case Lang.Loop(cond, body) =>
          a.loop(fold(cond), fold(body))

        // Other
        case Lang.VarMut(lhs, rhs) =>
          a.varMut(lhs, fold(rhs))
        case Lang.TypeAscr(target, tpe) =>
          a.typeAscr(fold(target), tpe)
        case Lang.TermAcc(target, member) =>
          a.termAcc(fold(target), member)
        case Lang.DefCall(target, method, targs, argss) =>
          a.defCall(target.map(fold), method, targs, argss.map(_.map(fold)))
        case Lang.Inst(target, targs, argss) =>
          a.inst(target, targs, argss.map(_.map(fold)))
        case Lang.Lambda(sym, params, body) =>
          a.lambda(sym, params.map(fold), fold(body))
        case Lang.Branch(cond, thn, els) =>
          a.branch(fold(cond), fold(thn), fold(els))
        case Lang.Block(stats, expr) =>
          a.block(stats.map(fold), fold(expr))
      }

      fold(tree)
    }

    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // Validation API
    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /** Delegates to [[SourceValidate.valid]]. */
    lazy val valid = SourceValidate.valid

    /** Delegates to [[SourceValidate.valid]]. */
    lazy val validate = (tree: u.Tree) => valid(tree).isGood

    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    // Source -> Source transformations API
    // -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    /**
     * Applies the following chain of transformations in order to bring the
     * Source tree into a regular form.
     *
     * - [[PatternMatching.destruct]]
     * - [[Foreach2Loop.transform]]
     */
    lazy val normalize = TreeTransform("Source.normalize", Seq(
      PatternMatching.destruct,
      Foreach2Loop.transform
    ))

    /** Removes implicit parameter lists having the given types. */
    def removeImplicits(types: Set[u.Type]) = TreeTransform("Source.removeImplicits", {

      object Matching {

        def matchingImplicits(args: List[u.Tree], params: List[u.Symbol]): Boolean = {
          // args binds to implicit parameter lsit
          lazy val isImplicit = params.forall(is(u.Flag.IMPLICIT, _))
          // args exclusively from the given `types` list
          lazy val isMatching = args.forall(arg => types.exists(_ =:= arg.tpe.typeConstructor))
          args.size == params.size && args.nonEmpty && isImplicit && isMatching
        }

        def unapply(tree: u.Tree): Option[u.Tree] = tree match {
          case api.DefCall(_, method, _, argss) =>
            argss.map(_.toList).toList zip method.paramLists match {
              case _ :+ Tuple2(args, params) if matchingImplicits(args, params) => Some(tree)
              case _ => None
            }
          case _ => None
        }
      }

      api.TopDown.transform {
        case Matching(api.DefCall(target, method, targs, argss)) =>
          api.DefCall(target, method, targs, argss.init)
      }.andThen(_.tree)
    })
  }
}


text:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Fiat has just announced prices of the eagerly-awaited new Fiat 500, which goes on sale here in January.
Standard equipment in the entry-level Pop includes ABS anti-lock brakes with EBD, driver, passenger, side and driver's knee airbags, radio/CD/MP3 player, power steering, electric mirrors, colour coded bumpers and chrome-plated door handles. The extensive options list includes ESP, glass sunroof, metallic paint and parking sensors.
Sport and Lounge versions start at £9,300, while specifying a larger engine in any trim level adds £1,400. Standard equipment on both Sport and Lounge versions includes the Blue & MeTM hands-free media system, air conditioning and 15" alloy wheels. Sport specification includes a rear roof spoiler, fog lights, sports interior and dark tinted rear windows, while Lounge trim includes a split, folding rear seat and fixed glass roof.
The simple pricing structure means that any combination of car is possible – customers simply start with a 1.2 Pop and add £1,400 for a more powerful engine, £1,400 for a higher trim level, or £2,800 for any combination of both. A huge list of style options – created specifically to offer customers wide-ranging opportunities for personalising the interior and exterior of their vehicles – is also available.
"There has been widespread speculation about Fiat 500 prices this year and we're delighted now to be able to reveal them," says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK.
The Fiat 500 goes on sale through Fiat's 162-strong UK dealer network in January 2008.


Ideally located on Tel Aviv's famous hotel strip facing the Mediterranean Sea, this completely refurbished and elegant Deluxe hotel offers the city's cultural, entertainment and business centers at your very doorstep. Dizengoff side-walk cafess and the Old City of Jaffa are just minutes away. On the beachfront, next to Tel Aviv's Yachting Marina and only 5 minutes walk to the city center. 30 km to Ben Gurion International Airport, limousine service available. Taxi stand at hotel.


text:
Home » Super B and Lithium Werks sign strategic multi-year cell supply agreement to meet soaring demand for
Super B and Lithium Werks sign strategic multi-year cell supply agreement to meet soaring demand for
HENGELO, The Netherlands, May 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium battery specialist Super B (www.super-b.com) and cell supplier Lithium Werks B.V.(www.lithiumwerks.com) have signed a multi-year agreement that will secure worldwide supplies of lithium ion batteries to customers across the world.
Under the agreement, Lithium Werks, a fast-growing lithium battery and portable power solutions group, will gear up its continuous supply of high quality Lithium Werks Nanophosphate Tm Cells, as Super B continues to expand its operations in response to accelerating demand for lithium ion batteries.
"Leading companies in sectors such as automotive, industry, marine and renewable energy are already served by Super B, and their appetite for battery-powered solutions is only getting greater. We are looking forward to supporting Super B as they continue to serve this rapid growth in demand for lithium batteries," said T. Joseph Fisher III, CEO and co-founder of Lithium Werks.
"I have been impressed by Super B's ability to expand quickly in recent years and by its ambition to grow even faster in the years to come. We expect Super B to double in size every year for some time yet and I am happy to say that Lithium Werks has found a strong strategic partner in Super B," Mr Fisher said.
"We are pleased to be partnering with Super B in this long-term strategic alliance as their products and innovations are a perfect match with our proprietary patented Nanophosphate Tm cylindrical cells," Mr Fisher said.
Super B's CEO Henk Kleef said the agreement will benefit its customers. "This long-term supply agreement for high quality cells from a truly global company like Lithium Werks will further bolster our ability to expand capacity and serve our customers' near insatiable demand for our lithium battery solutions in the coming years," Mr Kleef said.
"Lithium Werks, which has a strong reputation as a provider of Lithium Iron Phosphate cells, modules and scalable power systems, is an ideal partner as we continue to deliver long lasting, safe and reliable energy solutions to our customers," Mr Kleef said.
Both Super B and Lithium Werks specialise in Lithium Iron Phosphate technology, a lithium-ion cHemiätry that offers high thermal and chemical stability and is seen as the safest lithium-ion technology available today. The strategic cooperation builds on an existing relationship that has now become even stronger.
About Super B
Super B has a strong reputation for developing and producing unique high-end lithium batteries for a variety of industries and applications. Various leading manufacturers and customers in markets such as automotive, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, UPS and marine have experienced the innovative and reliable Super B lithium battery solutions. The Super B solutions are developed and produced in Hengelo,
The Netherlands and supported with worldwide regional sales/service centers.
About Lithium Werks
Lithium Werks is a fast-growing global lithium ion battery company with production facilities in China and offices in the USA, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Norway. Lithium Werks provides cells, modules, and battery management systems into markets such as material handling, stationary energy storage, medical, and commercial marine.
Lithium Werks
https://lithiumwerks.com/media-relations/
Telephone +44 (0) 28 9084 5411
More Info: https://lithiumwerks.com/super-b-and-lithium-werks-sign-strategic-multi-year-cell-supply-agreement/
Lithium Werks and Super B agree to merge to enable global energy transition
Navis and ZPMC Sign Strategic Agreement to Pursue Opportunities to Drive Marine Terminal Performance


The purpose of this study was to review articles about parenthood and the internet published in the medical, educational, and social sciences. The aim was to identify themes and trends in the available literature. A building block strategy was designed and used to achieve a high recall rate. By searching PubMed, ERIC, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, and Social Services Abstracts, 484 articles were retrieved. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were set to identify relevant articles. A sample comprising 94 articles was considered relevant in relation to the topic. We found that since the field of research was opened in 1997, there has been an increased interest for the topic from a variety of academic disciplines in various countries. Four themes were found in the body of literature: web site analysis, user patterns, online support groups, and interventions. In the first years, researchers were occupied with listing useful web sites for parents and analyzed them regarding quality and accuracy. After that a clearer focus on parents' online user patterns emerged, followed by an interest for online support groups. More recently, there has been an increase in using the internet for various interventions.


text:
Posted inElections
Fact check: Perdue's claim of a nonexistent 'investigation'
Ossoff's financial disclosures show amendments with additional payments.
by Lori Robertson/FactCheck.org December 28th, 2020 December 28th, 2020
A TV ad from Republican Sen. David Perdue's campaign claims a supposed "China scandal" involving his challenger, Democrat Jon Ossoff, "keeps getting worse." But it's the distortions of the facts that are getting worse, not any "scandal."
This story also appeared in FactCheck.org
The ad claims Ossoff "could face federal investigation," but there's no indication of that. The only support for the claim is a Dec. 8 letter the Georgia Republican Party sent to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics asking for an investigation. We asked the Georgia GOP whether the committee had responded to the request, and a spokeswoman declined to answer.
The Georgia GOP is asking the committee to investigate a rival candidate in the middle of an election, and Perdue is using that request to make the improbable claim that there could be an investigation. Perdue and Ossoff are facing off in a Jan. 5 runoff that will help determine which party will control the Senate.
The issue concerns Ossoff's financial disclosure reports. He didn't disclose some payments received by his broadcast production company in his May filing, but amended the report to include the additional payments two months later, in a July report. We wrote about this in November.
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics "does not have authority to investigate allegations made against candidates," Bryson B. Morgan, a member of the law firm Caplin & Drysdale who previously was investigative counsel for the House's Office of Congressional Ethics, told us in an email. "Instead, the Committee's jurisdiction extends to 'the conduct of individuals in the performance of their duties as Members of the Senate, or as officers or employees of the Senate,'" he said, citing the committee's "Rules of Procedure."
Abigail Sigler, a spokeswoman for the Georgia GOP, told us: "Candidates for US Senate are required to file financial disclosures with the Senate Ethics Committee, and therefore it falls under their jurisdiction."
But she didn't answer whether the committee had responded to the request, and Morgan, who advises candidates and officeholders on matters involving the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, told us the committee "arguably would have jurisdiction" if Ossoff wins the election. But even then, "such an investigation is extremely unlikely," both because the committee "rarely conducts investigations" and the issue is moot. Ossoff "proactively corrected the issue by filing an amendment," Morgan said.
The Georgia GOP's letter claims Ossoff "willfully and knowingly failed" to disclose "ties to controversial companies," but there's no evidence Ossoff willfully left out the information in the May report. The Ossoff campaign said it was "a paperwork oversight" that was "rectified" in the July amended filing. The GOP letter asserts voters "were left in the dark" during the primary, which was held on June 9.
Ossoff's financial disclosures
As we wrote in November, Ossoff's production company received payments from a Hong Kong media company and Al Jazeera for the rights to air investigative pieces. Ossoff is managing director and CEO of Insight TWI, a London-based documentary and TV production company. Republicans have misleadingly claimed Ossoff got cash from "Chinese communists and terrorist sympathizers."
The Perdue campaign ad, which began airing on Dec. 19, according to AdImpact, revisits the issue, claiming the "scandal … keeps getting worse." But the only new development is the Georgia GOP's letter asking for an ethics investigation.
In Ossoff's May 15 financial disclosure filing, he listed 21 TV or broadcasting groups around the world from which Insight TWI received more than $5,000 in compensation in the past two years. Two months later, on July 10, Ossoff filed an amended report that included 32 TV or broadcasting groups that had paid Insight TWI.
Those that he had left out of the initial report included PCCW Media Limited in Hong Kong and Al Jazeera Media Network in Doha, Qatar.
The Perdue ad focuses on the payment from the Hong Kong company, claiming Ossoff was "paid by the communist Chinese government through a media company." It cites an October Townhall article that says PCCW is "partially owned by China Unicom, a company maintained by the Chinese government."
The Financial Times reported in 2009 and 2010 that the state-owned China Unicom was the second-largest shareholder of PCCW, behind owner Richard Li.
So, a partly state-owned company paid Ossoff's company to air TV segments. Ossoff's campaign says there was another layer of separation in the transaction. Miryam Lipper, a spokesperson for the campaign, told us Insight TWI, which "conducts international investigations that have exposed corrupt officials, organized crime, and war criminals around the globe," licenses its documentaries to both TV stations and distributors. In the case of PCCW, TWI licensed documentaries to the distributor Sky Vision, which then licensed two investigations of Islamic State war crimes to PCCW.
"TWI would never have sold anything to PCCW directly, just received a royalty check from Sky Vision," Lipper said, when we wrote about this issue before.
The campaign has since said that royalty payment was about $1,000. That's below the reporting requirement. The Senate financial disclosure forms ask about "compensation of more than $5,000 from a single source in the two prior years."
In response to questions about Perdue's ad, Lipper told us: "Jon fully discloses the TV stations and distributors in dozens of countries and on every continent that have aired his company's work. Revisions to financial disclosures to ensure they are accurate and complete are totally normal."
The Ossoff campaign points out that Perdue has amended his financial disclosures many times over the years. Perdue's financial disclosures show he amended his reports every year from 2014 to 2018, often more than once per year.
The Perdue ad claims Ossoff "tried hiding" the payments from PCCW and "got caught, then lied." But Ossoff disclosed the payments himself in July. Articles about the payments from PCCW and Al Jazeera appeared afterward, based on Ossoff's amended report.
John Burke, a spokesman for the Perdue campaign, told us Ossoff "hid this information from voters in his own party," since it was disclosed after the Democratic primary. As for lying, Burke said Ossoff had "changed his story," but the evidence doesn't support that. Ossoff's campaign said the omission was "a paperwork oversight," and now the campaign says the payment from PCCW was actually below the threshold of reporting requirements. Lipper told the National Review that both statements were true.
As for the ad's claim that "now Ossoff could face federal investigation," as we said that's unlikely and based only on the Georgia GOP's request for an investigation.
Lipper, with the Ossoff campaign, told us this was "an utterly false and desperate complaint, which will go nowhere."
She added: "This is a laughable partisan smear by David Perdue and his allies to distract from the actual federal investigations Perdue has been under this year."
According to a Nov. 25 New York Times article, the Justice Department this spring looked into Perdue's stock trades, but closed the case without filing any charges.
Eugene Kiely contributed to this story.
This fact check is available at IFCN's 2020 US Elections FactChat #Chatbot on WhatsApp. Click here for more.
Georgians can vote Saturday after Thanksgiving with state Supreme Court ruling in GOP challenge
'Stunning, long-term failures' found in probe of Atlanta penitentiary
State ethics agency drops charges in Abrams fundraising probe as campaign steams ahead
Tagged: Elections, Georgia, politics, U.S. Senate
Lori Robertson/FactCheck.org
Lori Robertson is managing editor of FactCheck.org, an independent nonprofit journalism organization. More by Lori Robertson/FactCheck.org
by Lori Robertson/FactCheck.org, The Current

Fact check: Perdue's claim of a nonexistent 'investigation'

by Lori Robertson/FactCheck.org, The Current
December 28, 2020

A TV ad from Republican Sen. David Perdue's campaign claims a supposed "China scandal" involving his challenger, Democrat Jon Ossoff, "keeps getting worse." But it's the distortions of the facts that are getting worse, not any "scandal."

The ad claims Ossoff "could face federal investigation," but there's no indication of that. The only support for the claim is a Dec. 8 letter the Georgia Republican Party sent to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics asking for an investigation. We asked the Georgia GOP whether the committee had responded to the request, and a spokeswoman declined to answer.

The Georgia GOP is asking the committee to investigate a rival candidate in the middle of an election, and Perdue is using that request to make the improbable claim that there could be an investigation. Perdue and Ossoff are facing off in a Jan. 5 runoff that will help determine which party will control the Senate.

The issue concerns Ossoff's financial disclosure reports. He didn't disclose some payments received by his broadcast production company in his May filing, but amended the report to include the additional payments two months later, in a July report. We wrote about this in November.

The Senate Select Committee on Ethics "does not have authority to investigate allegations made against candidates," Bryson B. Morgan, a member of the law firm Caplin & Drysdale who previously was investigative counsel for the House's Office of Congressional Ethics, told us in an email. "Instead, the Committee's jurisdiction extends to 'the conduct of individuals in the performance of their duties as Members of the Senate, or as officers or employees of the Senate,'" he said, citing the committee's "Rules of Procedure."

Abigail Sigler, a spokeswoman for the Georgia GOP, told us: "Candidates for US Senate are required to file financial disclosures with the Senate Ethics Committee, and therefore it falls under their jurisdiction."

But she didn't answer whether the committee had responded to the request, and Morgan, who advises candidates and officeholders on matters involving the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, told us the committee "arguably would have jurisdiction" if Ossoff wins the election. But even then, "such an investigation is extremely unlikely," both because the committee "rarely conducts investigations" and the issue is moot. Ossoff "proactively corrected the issue by filing an amendment," Morgan said.

The Georgia GOP's letter claims Ossoff "willfully and knowingly failed" to disclose "ties to controversial companies," but there's no evidence Ossoff willfully left out the information in the May report. The Ossoff campaign said it was "a paperwork oversight" that was "rectified" in the July amended filing. The GOP letter asserts voters "were left in the dark" during the primary, which was held on June 9.

Ossoff's financial disclosures

As we wrote in November, Ossoff's production company received payments from a Hong Kong media company and Al Jazeera for the rights to air investigative pieces. Ossoff is managing director and CEO of Insight TWI, a London-based documentary and TV production company. Republicans have misleadingly claimed Ossoff got cash from "Chinese communists and terrorist sympathizers."

The Perdue campaign ad, which began airing on Dec. 19, according to AdImpact, revisits the issue, claiming the "scandal … keeps getting worse." But the only new development is the Georgia GOP's letter asking for an ethics investigation.

 https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kwkk-yX25mY

In Ossoff's May 15 financial disclosure filing, he listed 21 TV or broadcasting groups around the world from which Insight TWI received more than $5,000 in compensation in the past two years. Two months later, on July 10, Ossoff filed an amended report that included 32 TV or broadcasting groups that had paid Insight TWI.

Those that he had left out of the initial report included PCCW Media Limited in Hong Kong and Al Jazeera Media Network in Doha, Qatar.

The Perdue ad focuses on the payment from the Hong Kong company, claiming Ossoff was "paid by the communist Chinese government through a media company." It cites an October Townhall article that says PCCW is "partially owned by China Unicom, a company maintained by the Chinese government."

The Financial Times reported in 2009 and 2010 that the state-owned China Unicom was the second-largest shareholder of PCCW, behind owner Richard Li.

So, a partly state-owned company paid Ossoff's company to air TV segments. Ossoff's campaign says there was another layer of separation in the transaction. Miryam Lipper, a spokesperson for the campaign, told us Insight TWI, which "conducts international investigations that have exposed corrupt officials, organized crime, and war criminals around the globe," licenses its documentaries to both TV stations and distributors. In the case of PCCW, TWI licensed documentaries to the distributor Sky Vision, which then licensed two investigations of Islamic State war crimes to PCCW.

"TWI would never have sold anything to PCCW directly, just received a royalty check from Sky Vision," Lipper said, when we wrote about this issue before.

The campaign has since said that royalty payment was about $1,000. That's below the reporting requirement. The Senate financial disclosure forms ask about "compensation of more than $5,000 from a single source in the two prior years."

In response to questions about Perdue's ad, Lipper told us: "Jon fully discloses the TV stations and distributors in dozens of countries and on every continent that have aired his company's work. Revisions to financial disclosures to ensure they are accurate and complete are totally normal."

The Ossoff campaign points out that Perdue has amended his financial disclosures many times over the years. Perdue's financial disclosures show he amended his reports every year from 2014 to 2018, often more than once per year.

The Perdue ad claims Ossoff "tried hiding" the payments from PCCW and "got caught, then lied." But Ossoff disclosed the payments himself in July. Articles about the payments from PCCW and Al Jazeera appeared afterward, based on Ossoff's amended report.

John Burke, a spokesman for the Perdue campaign, told us Ossoff "hid this information from voters in his own party," since it was disclosed after the Democratic primary. As for lying, Burke said Ossoff had "changed his story," but the evidence doesn't support that. Ossoff's campaign said the omission was "a paperwork oversight," and now the campaign says the payment from PCCW was actually below the threshold of reporting requirements. Lipper told the National Review that both statements were true.

As for the ad's claim that "now Ossoff could face federal investigation," as we said that's unlikely and based only on the Georgia GOP's request for an investigation.

Lipper, with the Ossoff campaign, told us this was "an utterly false and desperate complaint, which will go nowhere."

She added: "This is a laughable partisan smear by David Perdue and his allies to distract from the actual federal investigations Perdue has been under this year."

According to a Nov. 25 New York Times article, the Justice Department this spring looked into Perdue's stock trades, but closed the case without filing any charges.

Eugene Kiely contributed to this story.

This fact check is available at IFCN's 2020 US Elections FactChat #Chatbot on WhatsApp. Click here for more.

This article first appeared on The Current and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.


The mission of DSI is to manage the development of Downtown Sanford as the primary economic, cultural, and social center of the community; to educate the community on the unique assets and historical significance of the downtown area; and to promote and stimulate the improvement of these assets.
The non-profit was originally formed in 1984 as a result of Downtown Sanford being selected as a North Carolina Main Street community in 1984. In 1980, the National Trust for Historic Preservation had created the National Main Street Center to encourage revitalization in downtown areas that had become victims of urban sprawl. DSI follows the Main Street Approach to downtown redevelopment, an approach which marries historic preservation and economic development using four key areas: Organization, Promotion, Design, and Economic Restructuring.
The corporation is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors, which are appointed by the sitting board members. The funding for the organization comes from private donations and tax revenues generated within a municipal service district. Currently, property owners within the municipal service district pay an additional $.13 per $100 valuation to support downtown initiatives. The City of Sanford also contributes substantially through funding for the Director's salary and through both financial and in-kind contributions to specific capital improvement projects.
In 1997, the Downtown Sanford Redevelopment Corporation embarked on a long-range strategic work plan. Components of the work plan included changing the name to Downtown Sanford, Inc., preparing a market study for downtown, developing the design for Depot Park, and commissioning the initial stages of a streetscape improvement plan.
Today, Depot Park has been completed and streetscape is underway. Marketing efforts continue, including joint local advertising efforts and special events designed to bring visitors from across the state into downtown and the Lee County community. DSI also continues to manage daily issues such as parking, appearance, security, infrastructure (lighting, trash collection, etc.), and administration of its building improvement grant program.


Marton Fucsovics and Stan Wawrinka meet in the third round of the tennis Cincinnati Open.
Marton Fucsovics is coming off a three sets win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez that took 35 games to decide. In the victory, Fucsovics won 67 percent of his first serve points and 49 percent of his second serve points. Fucsovics won 59 percent of his total service points and converted on seven of 17 break points. It was an overall balanced performance from Fucsovics, and he's now produced a combined 10 breaks in his last two matches. Fucsovics has a chance to win three matches in a single tournament for the first time since winning the Geneva Open back in May. Fucsovics has a chance to make his first ever ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal appearance. Fucsovics has won three of his last four matches on hard court.
Stan Wawrinka is coming off a straight sets win over Kei Nishikori that took 20 games to decide. In the victory, Wawrinka won 81 percent of his first serve points and 62 percent of his second serve points. Wawrinka won 72 percent of his total service point and produced three breaks on 10 break points. Now that the hard court season has started, Wawrinka is finally showing signs of returning to form. It's even scarier for the competition, as Wawrinka is a player who tends to get better the longer a tournament continues. Wawrinka has to like where he's at currently in his recovery. Wawrinka has a chance to make his second ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal since last year. Wawrinka has won four of his last five matches on hard court.
These two have split the previous two meetings, as Fucsovics won this years Geneva Open and Wawrinka won this years Canadian Masters.
I'm still not sold 100 percent that Wawrinka is back to being his normal self, but he's put together some impressive matches the last couple of weeks and is serving well. As long as that continues and the rust comes off his shotmaking ability, Wawrinka should win this match. Fucsovics is wet behind the ears in big matches and can struggle at times with his second serve.
Wawrinka wins in two competitive sets.


Many BBC programmes are made by outside companies.
by a company called Headstrong Pictures owned by Warner Brothers for BBC.
if no longer wanted by BBC then be offered to other TV companies?
produced for them and they then own the programme?
The copyright usually remains with the original commissioning broadcaster.
and itv reruns and us crap, but who runs Horror?
to have any chance of being accepted it must have left wing bias.
What does that do for its export potential ?
the director, with James Garner, Burt Reynolds and Charlie Callas.
Unfortunately Grant died and it came to nothing.
In the case of exports to the USA they just cut out all the bits with atheists, communists, and other undesirables and replace them with commercial breaks.


The City of Chanhassen is dedicated to improving park facilities and enhancing the quality of life for the community. We are always looking for ways to add amenities to existing parks as well as building new ones as our city expands.
The old playgrounds in all three parks are budgeted for replacement this year as a part of the City's Park Replacement Schedule. Northland Recreation was selected by neighborhood residents as the winning playground design at each of the three parks.
Removal of the existing playground structures will start this spring. The new playground border, new playground equipment, and surfacing will be installed by mid-summer.
Tennis courts at the Chanhassen Recreation Center, Lake Susan Park, and South Lotus Lake Park are scheduled for refurbishment this spring. Tennis courts are kept in playable condition through patching and resurfacing on a six to ten year cycle.


Aimed squarely at the very young, this cute animation still feels far too rushed to spend any significant time on. Matters are made worse by the plethora of far better options being readily available on screen.
Wolves and best friends Kate and Humphrey come from different ends of the pack: she is the alpha daughter of the pack leader and her future seems destined to involve hunting with little time for fun; he, on the other hand, is an omega, which gives him plenty of opportunity to mess around with his friends whilst having very little responsibility. With food scarce and the threat of attack from another pack of wolves imminent, Kate reluctantly agrees to an arranged marriage to Garth (the son of another pack leader) to maintain the peace and attempt to unite the two opposing sides.
Humphrey finally realises his true feelings for Kate, but everything is against him. To make matters worse the pair are soon captured by humans and sent to another park many miles away in an attempt to repopulate the area with wolves. They agree to work together to get back home, and enlist the help of two geese who appear to be on a nationwide golf tour. Will this road trip prove to be the making of a wonderful friendship and can they get back in time to stop the warring factions tearing one another apart?
The combination of 3D and colourful animation does look family friendly, and there is very little to offend even the most prudish of viewers, so if you want a no-worries cinema experience, this might be the one for you.
Although the film is cute, it still feels surprisingly rough and ready. The 3D adds little to the action, but at least it isn't too distracting. Some of the voices feel very out of place though, and it's very sad indeed that this film is one of the last in the cinema career of screen legend Dennis Hopper.
The central concept itself feels flawed, as loved-up wolves travelling around the barren landscape is never going to have much attention-grabbing capacity. The plot is also very basic (and that's putting it kindly). There is none of the emotion that Pixar manages to garner with such ease, nor is there the humour that DreamWorks can conjour up with talking-animal features. Oh, and the musical interludes? Just say no kids, just say no.
Not really. With the likes of other kids' films on general release at the moment, you'd only really opt for Alpha and Omega if the other screens were full.


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Ohio State cornerback Kendall Sheffield making a play against Indiana. (Associated Press)
What Kendall Sheffield had to say about getting drafted by the Falcons
D. Orlando Ledbetter, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
FLOWERY BRANCH —
Here's what Ohio State cornerback Kendall Sheffield had to say after getting drafted in the fourth-round (111th overall) by the Falcons on Saturday:
On the feeling getting the call: "It was a great feeling. I'm extremely happy. Extremely proud. Just happy to be an Atlanta Falcon and I'm ready to go up there and work."
On what he can bring as a defensive back and the injury he had recently: "My peck is really good. I'm getting some rehab down there in Houston right now. But I also bring a good, long, physical corner. I'll bring to the team my presence, going in and getting to work every day and try to get better at my craft and try to achieve as much as we can for the organization."
On what they told him about how long the process is for the rehab: "It wouldn't be that long. I'm ready."
On the history of his college career: "I started off at Alabama and I transferred to a junior college and that opened up my process. By opening up my process, I got to choose from any school that I wanted. Ohio State came in and the rest is history."
On how much interest were the Falcons showing in the pre-draft process: "They showed me a lot of interest. I had a private workout with them at Ohio State and that was about it."
On who he was communicating with at the Falcons: "During the private workout I was talking to (Dan Quinn) and (Thomas Dimitroff). The cornerback coach, (Doug Mallory), assistant GM (Scott Pioli) all of them came up and the day before I had a meeting with the cornerback coach and that was about it. A lot of communication with them."
On what happened at Alabama: "It was just a better decision for me to leave and transfer and go to a junior college. Then got recruited to go to Ohio State."
On whether the injury occurred during bench press: "Yes."
On when the injury occurred: "On March 3rd."
On where he feels most comfortable playing:
"I feel comfortable anywhere. I can press, I can do anything."
On right, left or corner: "No, it doesn't matter."
On playing nickel: "I can do anything."
On what was it like being around the staff at Ohio State that has developed so many NFL cornerbacks: "It was great being around them. Coming into Ohio State, the traditions and to live up to the traditions, I was happy."


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Pecos is governed by a mayor and city council; these governing body members serve in four-year terms. As the elected representatives of Pecos residents, they adopt all ordinances and resolutions, and determine general goals and policies for the city.
City Council meetings are held at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month.
Pecos City Council Members
Venetta Seals, mayor (term expires May 2019)
Gerald Tellez, mayor pro-tem (term expires May 2021)
Oscar Ornelas, Jr., councilman (term expires May 2021)
Veronica Baca, councilwoman (term expires May 2021)
Arthur Orona, councilman (term expires May 2019)
Wally Moon, councilman (term expires May 2019)
Other Pecos Officials
Seth Sorensen, city manager
Rod Ponton, city attorney
Syra Nichols, city secretary
Reeves County is governed by a commissioners court that consists of one commissioner for each of the county's four precincts as well as a county judge who presides over the court. Court is held every other Monday at 10 a.m. at the Reeves County Commissioners Court.
Leo Hung, county judge
Roy Alvarado, commissioner, Precinct 1
Isreal "Pody" Campos, commissioner, Precinct 2
Paul Hinojos, commissioner, Precinct 3
Tony Trujillo, commissioner, Precinct 4
Pete Flores
Senator Kel Seliger
Representative Poncho Nevarez
Texas U.S. Senator John Cornyn
Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz
Texas 23rd Congressional District Congressman Will Hurd


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150 Petaling Street
PS150 is a cocktail bar on Petaling Street in Chinatown Kuala Lumpur. Inhibiting the least expected of places, PS150 is housed in a pre-war shop lot situated next to a tiny stationery shop sitting under the popular cafe, Merchant's Lane. The space is divided into three seating areas that bookmark three distinct eras in the history of cocktails. With the bar's unassuming entrance, child-like curiousity is rewarded as you step through the toy store. There's the Opium Den with intimate booths perfect for a date night, the outdoor courtyard that is also the airwell section of the building and the Main Bar where all the magic unfolds. Befitting its location, Far Eastern accents liven up the bar as the interiors harken back to a darker, yet more exciting time in our city's history. The cocktails at PS150 draws from bold Southeast Asian flavours using distinct ingredients that are native to this part of the world. A wide array of spirits and liqueurs are also available to choose from. Expect the unexpected from obscure vermouths to local ginger wines - an adventurous tipple awaits the bold at PS150. The cocktail list is divided into five distinct eras in reflecting the evolution of the art of the cocktail: Vintage, Classic, Tiki, Disco and Contemporary. Each era presents a key cocktail reimagined, as well as original concoctions by PS150. Step through the toy store and let us transport you back in time.
1st - 31st December
❆ We will donate RM5 to The Lost Food Project with every purchase of The Bartender's Choice ❆
PS150 by BAY Baristas Sdn Bhd (1151569-D) © 2016


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2020 · Events · Neighbourhood Network Scheme
Edgbaston Neighbourhood Network Scheme officially launches
At the start of this year, Gateway and Age UK Birmingham were appointed to lead the Edgbaston Neighbourhood Network Scheme (NNS). We were about to start planning our launch event when Covid-19 hit and the country went into lockdown.
Rather than holding an event to launch the new scheme, we dived straight into supporting community groups in the area. Our Asset Development Worker Sam, and seconded Early Help co-ordinator Marc, began co-ordinating the delivery of food parcels and other vital support to the local communities — and this is how the scheme has been running for the last four months.
Now, however, we are starting to move forward again and on 23rd June, we held the official launch of the Edgbaston Neighbourhood Network Scheme — albeit as an online meeting rather than the physical event we had originally planned.
Around 25 people came together via Zoom to discusss the original aims of the ENNS: the ways in which we can help local community, activity and social groups to sustain themselves and, if they wish to, develop further. We also talked about how things have changed since March and how we can support groups to adapt to a post coronavirus landscape.
The event was attended by representatives from Gateway, Age UK Birmingham, the Adult Social Work team, Birmingham City Council, BVSC and other agencies, but also by a mix of community groups (also known as "assets").
After introductions and some information about the ENNS and how it can help community groups, attendees split into three "breakout rooms" to discuss issues in more detail: funding, the "three conversations" social work model, and lessons learned from Covid-19.
Natalie Tichareva, from Age UK Birmingham, said, "I think it is safe to say we were all slightly nervous about how a digital launch event would go, but in the end I do not think it could have gone better! Thank you to everyone who attended and took part in our breakout room discussions following the presentation. We have made some great links through our launch event which will be able to strengthen our work in Edgbaston going forward."
We understand that many people weren't able to attend, and that some of those who did attend would like the opportunity to reconvene so that they can attend the other breakout meetings, so we'll be planning more digital get-togethers in the near future.
In the meantime, click here to download the ENNS Welcome Pack PDF, which you should be able to print as a booklet. If you don't have access to a printer and would like a copy of this, please email info@gatewayfs.org and we'll send you a copy.
Martineau Gardens receives the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service
by Deb Ufton | 29th November 2021 | 2021, Neighbourhood Network Scheme | 0 Comments
One of the longest running Community Gardens in Birmingham, Martineau Gardens, has been recognised for its commitment to the community, receiving the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. The Gardens have been described by visitors as 'an oasis of calm in the bustling city' and as 'Birmingham's hidden gem'…
Edgbaston NNS – Focus on Assets: Woolly Mammoth Stitch Works
Nov 25, 2021 | 2021, Neighbourhood Network Scheme
The Edgbaston Neighbourhood Network is here to help all of Edgbaston's community assets with everything from grants...
Oct 5, 2021 | 2021, Events
Stoptober is back! The mass quit event, now in its tenth year, is calling on smokers to join the 2.3 million others...


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An Advocate for Small Farms and Better Food Systems
Carolina Mueller — part-time farmer, full-time graduate student at UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs — believes strong local farms are part of making better food systems
By: Tracy Zhang
Carolina Mueller enjoys a walk on the farm (Credit: Lauren Slusher Photography).
When asked about a typical day in her life, Carolina Mueller laughed. "There's not really a typical day, but there's a couple of different kinds of days." She continued: "On the kind of day where I'm wearing my student hat, I get up early, do some reading or writing, maybe listen to a podcast. Then I have Zoom classes or Zoom meetings — lot's of screen time."
"On a completely different day, I drive out to the farm. I check in on our cows. I feed them, fill up their water tanks. I check in to see how the fields are looking, what the pastures are like — are there a lot of weeds that are coming up or are the native grasses looking really good?"
She continues, joking, "They're looking great by the way, in case you were wondering!"
Being both a full-time graduate student at UT's LBJ School of Public Affairs and part-time local farmer, Mueller has quite an unusual academic and work-life balance.
Carolina Mueller biking to the LBJ School of Public Affairs (Credit: Carolina Mueller).
Before she enrolled at UT, Mueller had a decade of hands-on experience working within food systems or the infrastructures and ways in which food products move from field to table. Typical processes in food systems include growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, distribution and disposal.
Today, as the president of the Central Texas Young Farmers Coalition and as a legislative intern for the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Mueller is studying public policy. She chose this field to learn how to shift power in our food systems in order to reshape how people engage with what they eat.
Mueller studied nutritional sciences at Rutgers University before coming to UT. "I got into gardening, cooking and learning more about local food systems. It became really clear to me that it wasn't people's knowledge that was what was preventing them from eating well — rather it was our food systems that were preventing people from having choices or really being able to make the right ones."
Mueller was drawn to the LBJ School for its collaborative nature and caring and thoughtful world-class professors.
"Professors here really understand that their students are complete humans with lived experiences and skills to contribute," Mueller said. "My first year at LBJ I got to learn directly from Raj Patel — one of the top leaders in food systems reform work in the U.S."
The ways our food systems are set up currently and the ways that governments decide on what to invest or what not to invest in lead to huge health and environmental outcomes.
Carolina Mueller, LBJ School of Public Affairs graduate student
Moreover, Mueller is a doer who puts plans into action, and in her eyes, LBJ is "a community of practitioners" who have not only the knowledge but also the strength and determination to roll their sleeves up to do the work.
For example, during the big freeze in Texas this February, Mueller knew she wanted to help those in need. So she got right to work, helping to launch a GoFundMe for small and medium-sized farms impacted by the winter storms. The campaign had an initial goal of $50,000, which was quickly surpassed, and ended up granting over $121,000 to 112 farmers all over Texas in the first round.
Fast forward to today and the campaign has raised over $200,000 and established a partnership with eight agricultural organizations across the state.
Mueller said this all would not have happened if it were not for what she has learned through LBJ, which honed her skills in collaboration, compromise, research into policy guidelines, and adherence to state and local regulations and rules in a quick and efficient manner.
"Putting that whole process together, being able to make strategic connections and work very collaboratively with these different organizations, having a very clear vision, knowing how to make trade-offs and making sure that we are in compliance with tax and policy codes. … These are not the fun things, but these are things that I would not have been able to navigate without what I've learned at the LBJ School," she said.
From left to right: Carolina Mueller at Farmshare Austin and Middle Ground Farm (Credit: Carolina Mueller).
Farming and policy, though seemingly different, actually go hand in hand, Mueller said. Policy decisions made decades ago are affecting farmers across Texas — small and midsized ones especially. During the freeze, they were hit hardest yet also lacked the support needed the most.
Mueller believes Texas' prioritization of large-scale industrial agriculture over others means the state is not prepared when extreme climate events shut these systems down.
"There is a quote from Wendell Berry that says, 'eating is an agricultural act.' But, I would say even more than that — eating is a political act," she said. "The ways our food systems are set up currently and the ways that governments decide on what to invest or what not to invest in lead to huge health and environmental outcomes."
Even while transitioning to Zoom courses amid her studies, Mueller continues to learn all about the world and its relationship with agriculture and food. She notes how COVID-19 has really highlighted the value and flexibility of more regionalized food systems.
"When we had people making runs on grocery stores and the shelves were empty, people who were able to, pivoted to the local farmers," she said. "We saw people who were selling weekly veggie boxes or community-supported agriculture selling out suddenly. This happened during the freeze also." This showed her that there are some really distinctive strengths in regional markets, Mueller said, and she will remember these experiences and take them with her as she advocates for better policies in food systems and food system infrastructure.
Mueller is graduating with her Master of Public Affairs this May. When asked about what's next for her, she said, "The thing about food systems change is that it's going to take beyond my lifetime because we have a lot of systems to uproot."
It may be a lifetime of work, but today, Mueller is ready and eager to take on those challenges in order to create resilient, accessible food systems where people feel connected to what they eat.
Tags: Central Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs


Globally, millions of dogs and cats enter animal shelters. These pets were either intentionally abandoned, neglected or have gotten lost.
Euthanization is the process of mercy killing or putting to death an animal painlessly through the use of medicine.
Although the number of cases of pet abandonment in the Sultanate is hard to track, it is a trend that do happen. The soaring temperatures are a major concern for animal lovers as they worry that without proper shelter on extreme weather condition, abandonment would definitely mean death for homeless pets.
Another reason for the abandonment of pets is when sickness strikes, Nolosco added.
"When the pet gets sick some owners find it as an overwhelming responsibility. They come here and leave them near the clinic and leave. There are others who request to pay the bills in installment. There are others who bring in their pets for treatment and never come to pick them up," he added.
A major issue that needs more awareness according to Dr Nolosco is in regard to parents buying pets for their children.
"Having a pet is a great responsibility and both the parents and kids have to be aware of it. As for the kids, once the craze of having a pet is over, within days or a few months, then it becomes a responsibility. If you buy a Persian cat, for example, it needs special care and grooming as well as regular visits to the vet. If neglected their furs would matte. Soon they are abandoned," the veterinarian said.
Tiger by the Tail (TBTT) is a group of animal lovers who has been voluntarily picking up abandoned dogs, cats and birds who are finding it difficult to not just find food but most importantly water and shelter.
Currently, the team is made up of Jaison Mathai — founding member, Nivya Crasto – adoption in-charge, Namrata Balbir – in charge of fostering, Bindu Mohite — member of the fostering team, and Namrata Cibbar.
At first, they had been individually helping out the animals in distress but came together to pool their resources and efforts in January 2016.
"To date, we had around 50 cats and eight dogs adopted and have gotten stray cats spayed so that they can no longer multiply. After having the strays spayed, we release them back into their habitat," the group shared.
Today Tiger by the Tail has over thousands of friends and supporters. They now have connections in Sohar who are eager to support abandoned pets especially during the summer.
"Sometimes, tourists are the ones who instantly call us to rescue animals. We have been able to rescue about 100 animals. Not all of them needed homes. We've also been rescuing pigeons and once, even rescued a wild rabbit," Mathai shared.
The team effort is also supported by Zakiya al Zakwani, the owner of Capital Veterinary Centre.
"She is a huge animal lover and without her support we could not have come this far," the team pointed out.
But unlike the Omani cats, some breeds cannot tolerate the summer heat if they are left outdoors.
What people have to understand is that when they abandoned their pets, these animals undergo psychological shock, the expert said.
Even wadi dogs go through tough time during the summer and according to the Vet the best gift for them during the summer would be water.
Both the vet and the members of TBTT were hoping that people will be more responsible pet owners and that parents in particular will instill in their children that owning pets is a big responsibility, one that cannot be taken lightly as life also depends on it — even if it's just the life an animal.
19/02/2017 Oman Observer Comments Off on Laughter is the Best Medicine!


The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which regulates meat (including poultry) and egg production is seriously overworking their meat inspectors due to the at least 1,000 vacancies that need to be filled.
One veteran inspector said, "We don't have enough inspectors, but we have too much management. The inspectors are short all the time and getting spread thinner and thinner."
Another said, "They [meatpacking companies] write their own plan,"… "They write everything for themselves. We're 'monitoring' that now. It's just a joke. We mostly check paper now. You can put anything you want on paper."
It is no surprise that the mass processing of meat products, and the lack of enough inspectors, has lead to contaminated animal products allowed to reach the public. The meat industry slaughters 12 billion animals every year in the US, causing unimaginable suffering to God's animals, polluting the environment and contributing with human health deterioration. Adopting a plant-based diet would help solve many of these problems.


Chorley in the Great War was formed in 2014 and looks at the involvement of the Lancashire Borough of Chorley in "The War to end all Wars". Men and women from the town and surrounding villages served in all theatres of the war from 1914 to 1919 – with the Royal Navy at Jutland, with the RFC and RAF over The Western Front and in land campaigns at Mons, Gallipoli, The Somme, Arras, Ypres, Salonica, Italy, Mesopotamia, Palestine and in East Africa.
All are welcome to join us and attend our six meetings in the year where guest speakers present illustrated talks. Members benefit from free entry to meetings and access to our library and research facilities when looking for information about family members or their local community.


BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER is not playing well enough at the moment, says Gary Lineker.
The German signed a three-year deal with the Red Devils in the summer having spent 14 years at Bayern Munich.
Schweinsteiger has been in and out of Louis van Gaal's starting XI this campaign that has seen him manage just one goal in 24 appearances.
The 31-year-old is currently serving a three-match ban from the FA following a clash with West Ham's Winston Reid earlier this month.


A recent market research report by Research and Markets forecasts an annual growth rate of 12.0% in the market for plant-based beverages through to 2023. According to the report, the significant growth rates in this area are primarily attributable to consumers' changing consumption habits.
The global market for plant-based beverages is estimated to be worth USD 11.16 billion by 2018. By 2023, it is projected to reach $19.67 billion, with an annual growth rate of 12.0% over the forecast period. The dairy alternatives segment is expected to be the largest segment of the plant-based beverage market by 2023, according to the report.
The growth of the plant-based beverage market is fuelled by the growing popularity of vegan diets, particularly amongst millennials. In addition, companies are showing interest in the niche plant-based beverage segment by acquiring local players or investing in innovative products to stimulate and satisfy consumer interests. This has also driven the growth of the market.
Due to the premium price of plant-based products in many countries, the costs of these products remain higher than those of dairy products. Manufacturers are therefore working to lower the prices. This is a challenge for manufacturers in this market. In addition, consumers in many emerging markets are not aware of the advantages of plant-based beverages over dairy drinks because of a lack of appropriate advertising strategies. As a result, these regions continue to be heavily dependent on dairy products.
The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing plant-based beverage market in the forecast period, according to industry analysts. For example, large dairy companies in China are planning to penetrate the market for niche plant-based products. As a result, there are strong growth prospects for plant-based beverage producers in this region.


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What is the difference between cif freight and fob freight
The biggest difference between CIF and FOB freight is in who is responsible for the goods during delivery.
CIF freight means that freight and insurance are paid by the supplier, who is responsible for delivery to the destination. In the case of FOB, it is the customer who pays for the freight and insurance of the goods.
Both are international transport contracts between a buyer and a seller, used in cases of maritime transport.
CIF shipping FOB Shipping
Meaning Cost, Insurance and Freight (cost, insurance and freight) Free on Board.
What is Type of international transport contract between a buyer and a seller. It is also a type of transport contract.
Who pays the costs The supplier company. The clients.
Who takes responsibility for the product The supplier company. The clients.
When it is considered as delivered goods Only when they are in the buyer's possession. When they are placed on the ship for delivery.
CIF shipping
CIF, which in Portuguese means "cost, insurance and freight", is a commercial term that means that the seller must pay the costs necessary to transport goods to a final destination.
Importers prefer to use CIF because it makes transportation more convenient. They do not have to deal with handling, shipping and other details that can be very complex.
Generally, CIF freight is more expensive for the buyer.
FOB front
In FOB contracts, which means "free on board", it is the buyer who assumes the risks and costs of transporting the goods.
This type of transport is more favorable for the sellers, who are free of responsibility when placing the goods on the ship.
How do responsibilities change?
Both contracts specify source and destination information that determines where liability officially begins and ends.
In CIF contracts, the responsibility and costs associated with transit are paid by the seller, until the goods are received by the buyer. Thus, the goods are not considered delivered until they are in the possession of the person who bought them.
The FOB contracts the seller disclaims liability at the time the goods are shipped. Thus, when the goods enter the ship, they are considered as delivered and are under the buyer's responsibility.
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Jim Brunner
2019 Seattle City Council Elections
The Overcast politics podcast
Lawsuit alleges Seattle Mayor Ed Murray sexually abused troubled teen in 1980s
Originally published April 6, 2017 at 3:13 pm Updated February 18, 2018 at 11:57 pm
A new lawsuit accuses Seattle Mayor Ed Murray of child sexual abuse decades ago. Two other men have told The Seattle Times they, too, were abused by Murray as teenagers in the 1980s. The mayor vigorously denies all the accusations.
Lewis Kamb
Seattle Times staff reporters
A 46-year-old Kent man sued Seattle Mayor Ed Murray on Thursday, claiming Murray "raped and molested him" over several years, beginning in 1986 when the man was a 15-year-old high-school dropout.
The lawsuit in King County Superior Court, filed under the man's initials, "D.H.," alleges Murray sexually abused the crack-cocaine addicted teen on numerous occasions for payments of $10 to $20.
"I have been dealing with this for over 30 years," the man, now sober for a year, said in an interview with The Seattle Times. He said he was coming forward as part of a "healing process" after years of "the shame, the embarrassment, the guilt, the humiliation that I put myself through and that he put me through."
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Murray, who is running for re-election this year, vehemently denied the allegations. He abruptly canceled a news conference about police reform scheduled for Thursday afternoon and did not make a public appearance.
A statement from Murray's personal spokesman Jeff Reading said, "These false accusations are intended to damage a prominent elected official who has been a defender of vulnerable populations for decades. It is not a coincidence that this shakedown effort comes within weeks of the campaign filing deadline. These unsubstantiated assertions, dating back three decades, are categorically false. Mayor Murray has never engaged in an inappropriate relationship with any minor. … Mayor Murray will vigorously fight these allegations in court."
D.H. is not the first to accuse Murray, one of the state's most powerful politicians, of sexual abuse that occurred decades ago. Murray, 61, has known of other allegations for years, and has quietly, but vigorously denied them.
Read the complaint against Murray (PDF)
Two men, Jeff Simpson and Lloyd Anderson, said they knew Murray when they were growing up in a Portland center for troubled children, and later as teenagers. They accuse Murray of abusing them in the 1980s when he was in his 20s. Simpson made the claim as a teen in 1984, and talked with a social worker and detective at the time. No charges were filed.
Both men raised the allegations a decade ago, with one making calls to reporters and Washington state lawmakers. They repeated the accusations in recent interviews with The Seattle Times, saying they would testify in court if needed.
Now, with the D.H. lawsuit, Murray faces a formal public accusation for the first time, and details of the case bear similarities to the earlier allegations.
While The Seattle Times chose not to publish the 2008 allegations, the similarities between those claims and the new public case gave additional weight and relevance to the previous information.
Reading's statement acknowledged Simpson and Anderson's accusations: "The two older accusations were promoted by extreme right-wing anti-gay activists in the midst of the marriage equality campaign, and were thoroughly investigated and dismissed by both law enforcement authorities and the media."
All three of Murray's accusers have substantial criminal records.
Representing Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Robert Sulkin defends Murray against allegations of sexual abuse. (Corinne Chin / The Seattle Times)
Taking action now
In his lawsuit, D.H. said he first met Murray on a Metro bus on Capitol Hill, and that Murray invited him back to his apartment, propositioning him for sex.
The two haggled over the price — $10 or $15, D.H. said in an interview this week, adding that Murray continued to pay him for the next four to five years, at least 50 times.
News reports of sexual-assault allegations could be a trigger for victims and survivors of abuse. Here are some resources:
The King County Sexual Assault Resource Center offers a 24-hour resource line (888-998-6423). Additionally, KCSARC can help connect people with therapy, legal advocates and family services (kcsarc.org/gethelp).
UW Medicine's Center for Sexual Assault & Traumatic Stress (depts.washington.edu/hcsats) offers resources, including counseling and medical care. For immediate help, call 206-744-1600.
For readers outside King County, the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs lists 38 Washington state providers that offer free services. (wcsap.org/find-help)
RAINN: Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network provides a free, confidential hotline (800-656-4673) and online chat (hotline.rainn.org) with trained staff members.
"And there's times he would be doing certain things and I would tell him to stop and he wouldn't stop, and I let it happen because I wanted that money so I can go get those drugs," D.H. said in the interview.
The lawsuit gives details about Murray's 1980s Capitol Hill apartment, accurately recalls Murray's phone number from the time, and offers a description of his genitals.
Before first paying D.H. for sex in 1986, according to the lawsuit, "Mr. Murray asked D.H. his age, and he responded truthfully, age 15." Murray was then in his early 30s.
Sex with a child under 16 — the age of legal consent in Washington in 1986 and today — constitutes rape of a child under state law. The statute of limitations to bring any criminal charges based on the man's claims expired long ago.
For civil cases, victims of child sex abuse are able to bring claims in Washington for years and well into adulthood, depending on when a victim recognizes the impacts such abuse has had on their life.
The civil lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, and notes that D.H. has not previously made "any financial demands" of Murray. D.H. initially took his allegations to Lawand Anderson, a Des Moines lawyer. She has teamed up on the lawsuit with Lincoln Beauregard and Julie Kays with Connelly Law Offices, a high-powered firm that has won major judgments in abuse cases.
D.H. said he is taking action now, in part, because his father's recent death has freed him of a desire to keep the abuse secret. He's also now getting counseling and participating in addiction-recovery programs.
Like D.H., Simpson and Anderson, the two men who lived in Portland, allege that Murray paid them for sex when they were teenagers.
Simpson, who is 49, also says Murray — whom he thought of as a father — raped him over several years, starting at age 13, and in later years paid him.
D.H., who has filed a lawsuit accusing Seattle Mayor Ed Murray of sexual abuse, is interviewed Wednesday in Seattle. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times)
A knock on the door
On a recent Sunday, two Times reporters showed up unannounced at the Portland-area apartment that Simpson, now a public roads crew worker, shares with his wife and teenaged son. He appeared surprised, but immediately said he had prayed someone would eventually come knock on his door.
"I would really like for him to admit it and to take responsibility …" Simpson said of Murray. "I don't necessarily think that he destroyed my life, but I believe a lot of the problems I have stemmed from this."
Jeff Simpson, seen here in a 1984 yearbook picture, said he knew Murray when Simpson was a teenager growing up in a Portland center for troubled children.
Simpson's effort in 2007, with support from Lloyd Anderson, to bring a case against Murray fell apart when his lawyer withdrew. A few months later, in March 2008, Simpson started the calls to media organizations and lawmakers in Olympia, spreading the word that Murray, then a state senator, was a "pedophile" who had sexually abused him.
Murray denied the accusations to reporters and hired an attorney, who worked to discredit the men largely based on their criminal pasts. Neither The Seattle Times nor other media publicly reported the allegations, and Murray's political career continued to rise.
Anderson told a paralegal for Simpson's attorney about his alleged sexual acts with Murray during a 2007 interview and described distinctive physical features.
"During these encounters, (he) noticed that Ed had an unusual bump on his penis and bright red pubic hair," the paralegal wrote in a memo in 2007.
In his lawsuit, D.H. described Murray as having "reddish pubic hair and a unique mole on his scrotum — it is a small bump."
In separate interviews, Simpson and Anderson said they were unaware of any forthcoming lawsuit. They said they had not talked with anyone about their own allegations for years.
Similarly, D.H. said he didn't know of anyone else claiming abuse by Murray, and Beauregard said his client didn't recognize Simpson's or Anderson's names.
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'Only parent that I know'
Murray, a progressive Democrat whose work in the Legislature made him a champion for gay rights, was elected Seattle's mayor in 2013. He's enjoyed a series of successes in his first term, and lately he's drawn national attention as a prominent face of resistance to President Donald Trump's agenda. He has been considered well-positioned this year to win a second term.
Long before he got into politics, Murray, one of seven children in an Irish Catholic family, considered the priesthood. He spent a year at a seminary in 1976, before earning his sociology degree from the University of Portland, a private Catholic institution.
While Murray was in college, Simpson said, he worked with kids at the Parry Center for Children. That's where they met, said Simpson, who went to live there when he was 6.
At age 3, Simpson said, his adoptive parents had abandoned him for setting a Christmas tree on fire, burning the family house.
The alleged sexual abuse by Murray began in 1980, Simpson says, when he lived at a group home after leaving the Parry Center, and was allowed to spend the night at Murray's apartment.
Simpson says the two were watching TV, when Murray, then in his mid-20s, began to stroke the 13-year-old's legs.
"Hey … Jeff, can you keep a secret?" Simpson said Murray asked him.
Simpson claims Murray told him "you really excite me" and asked whether he could take off the boy's clothes and touch him. Simpson says he told Murray he wasn't comfortable, and Murray stopped. But later, Murray pulled off Simpson's clothes and performed oral sex, Simpson claims.
"I told him no, no, no … I don't want to do any of this," Simpson said. "I started crying… and we stopped."
Confidential support for survivors
If you have experienced sexual assault and need support, you can call the 24-hour National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (800-656-4673). There is also an online chat option. Survivors in King County can call the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center's 24-hour Resource Line at 888-99-VOICE (888-998-6423) or visit www.kcsarc.org/gethelp.
The next day, he said, Murray took him back to the group home in Beaverton and asked him not to say anything.
Months later, Murray again abused him on an overnight visit, Simpson claims. The abuse, he said, went on for years. All the while, Murray also seemed to genuinely care about his welfare, Simpson said. Murray tried helping Simpson find foster homes, and eventually took him in.
"That's why this is so hard for me," Simpson said. "He's the only parent that I know, as messed up as that is."
Simpson said he was about 15 when he went to live with Murray. At the time, Simpson had been running away and getting into trouble at other homes. While living alone with Murray, Simpson claims "the abuse was going on regularly" but with one difference: Murray started paying him for sex.
Simpson said he used the cash to buy pot.
Jeff Simpson, who first accused Seattle Mayor Ed Murray of sexual abuse in the 1980s, lives near Portland. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times)
'I was young'
Anderson, 51, says that while he lived at the Parry Center from about 1973 to 1980, he became "best friends" with Simpson and also came to know Murray.
In a telephone interview Thursday, Anderson said he left the center at age 14 or 15, to live with a Portland-area couple. He cried when recounting that Simpson later visited him and confided he'd been having a sexual relationship with Murray.
"It wasn't exactly voluntary," Anderson said Simpson told him. "He was crying."
In 1981 or 1982, when Anderson was about 16, he said he left the home where he'd been staying periodically to live on the streets and do drugs. One day, Anderson said, he had a chance encounter downtown with Murray, who invited him to his apartment in Northwest Portland. Anderson said Murray later offered to pay him $30 and some marijuana for oral sex — and he agreed.
Anderson said he met Murray several times at his apartment for sex after that. The encounters continued until Anderson was about 17, he said. Murray paid him from $15 to $30 during each encounter, Anderson said.
"Look, the guy took advantage of my situation," said Anderson, who now lives in Florida. "I was young, I was homeless and doing drugs and everything."
The administration building at the Parry Center for Children in Portland. Simpson says he met Murray at the center. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times)
The general age of legal consent in Oregon in 1982 is the same as it is today — 18, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office. A man of Murray's age at the time — about 26 — engaging in oral sex with someone between 16 and 18 would have constituted the misdemeanor crime of "contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor," the DA's office said.
About two years later, in 1984, Simpson said, Murray kicked him out of his apartment following a fight. Simpson said he went back to a group home, where he became angry and depressed, and cut his wrists in the shower.
Simpson said he told a group-home administrator Murray had molested him, triggering a police investigation. Despite the alleged abuse, Simpson said he told authorities he wanted to return to live with Murray.
Simpson said he was interviewed by police and child-services investigators, but no charges were filed against Murray, who for a time in Portland worked in a public defender's office.
Representatives for Portland police and Oregon's Department of Human Services, which oversees child-welfare cases, each said the investigation occurred so long ago, records would have been destroyed.
The only remaining record corroborating the investigation is a "case fact sheet" entry from an old Multnomah County District Attorney's database. It indicates the DA's office considered but rejected a felony third-degree sodomy charge, a crime against children, that identified Murray in May 1984.
Simpson admitted he was a bad witness, running away to live on the streets, doing drugs and earning cash as a prostitute.
A few months later, Murray moved from Portland to Seattle, records show. While living on Capitol Hill, he worked as a paralegal, according to news accounts.
Moving to Seattle
In 1986, D.H. claims, he met Murray shortly after dropping out of Seattle's Nathan Hale High School during his freshman year.
He said he was hanging out on Broadway, and Murray, then in his early 30s, "propositioned D.H. for private visits to his Capitol Hill apartment," the lawsuit contends.
Simpson says that around the same time, while he was in his late teens, Murray also was paying to have sex with him in his Capitol Hill apartment. Despite his previous allegations against Murray in Portland, Simpson said he followed Murray north to Seattle.
Simpson was mostly homeless then, but at times stayed with Murray.
Simpson last month accurately recalled the apartment's location. He also described where the bathroom and bedroom were in the third-floor unit, much as D.H. described them in his lawsuit.
Court records show Simpson was arrested several times in Seattle between 1986 and 1988, drawing theft, weapons and prostitution charges, among others.
Simpson often gave aliases during his frequent run-ins with the law. During at least one encounter with police, he identified himself as "Jeffrey David Murray," court records show. He also used Murray's Harvard Avenue address as his own on court documents during a 1987 credit-card theft and forgery case, records show.
'Position of trust'
D.H. admits to drug addiction and has a long history of criminal convictions and charges, including a prostitution arrest in 1990. He's now in recovery programs and attends community college, studying to become a chemical-dependency counselor.
He said his parents were crack addicts and died of drug overdoses. For years, he said, he has struggled with shame over the alleged abuse.
"I tried to commit suicide a couple of times, just because I was disgusted with myself, but I'm past that now," D.H. said.
Anderson, who accused Murray with Simpson in 2007, also abused drugs and alcohol. A registered sex offender, he was convicted in 1998 for several counts of felony sexual contact with a minor. He spent eight years in prison. Anderson said he now lives with his longtime wife, has two grown children and for a time managed a steakhouse. He no longer uses drugs, he said.
Simpson has convictions for burglaries, robberies and selling drugs to support his meth addiction.
In 1990, he was convicted of armed robbery and served nine years in prison in Oregon. After prison, Simpson said, he continued to sell drugs. He began to get sober after his son's birth a year later. Court records show he has not had a criminal conviction since 2004.
In 2007, as part of his long recovery, Simpson said he felt compelled to go public with his allegations. By then, Murray had served in the Washington Legislature for more than decade.
Simpson contacted a Portland lawyer, Brian Williams, who warned an attorney for Murray in a December 7, 2007 letter that despite Simpson's criminal past, his firm's investigation "indicates that Mr. Simpson is telling the truth and is the victim of long term sex abuse by your client."
Murray hired a Portland attorney, Katherine Heekin, who distributed Simpson's and Anderson's criminal records and attacked their credibility, saying their story was false.
Murray paid Heekin more than $10,700 from his surplus campaign funds in 2008, according to Public Disclosure Commission records. Another $8,000 went to a private investigator.
In late February 2008, Williams withdrew representation from Simpson, telling him in a letter citing the law firm's "evaluation of the claim."
At the same time early 2008, Simpson had been calling news organizations and lawmakers in an unsuccessful effort to publicize allegations. He said he also spoke on the phone with the Rev. Ken Hutcherson, a chief opponent of gay rights (Hutcherson died in 2013).
Simpson said he understands why people didn't believe him then.
"I get it. I understand, my past is less than stellar," he said. "… People did think I was nuts and nobody wanted to believe it. But I felt I needed to tell the truth, finally tell the truth."
Sitting in his lawyer's office Wednesday afternoon, D.H. said he didn't see how Murray would be able to deny the alleged abuse. His attorneys want to question the mayor under oath within 90 days.
D.H. said he wants Murray held accountable for treating him "like I was just nothing, like I was worthless."
His lawsuit said he "is disturbed that Mr. Murray maintains a position of trust and authority, and believes that the public has a right to full information when a trusted official exploits a child."
In a brief meeting with reporters Thursday afternoon, Robert Sulkin, an attorney for Murray, said the mayor would continue "to do his job for the city of Seattle." Murray will make no public appearances Friday — none had been previously scheduled, according to his office.
Editor's note: We have chosen not to allow comments on this story, as we frequently do with sensitive subjects that tend to draw the types of comments that would violate our terms of service. If you would like to offer feedback on the story or ask questions about it, please contact reporters Lewis Kamb and Jim Brunner.
Staff reporters Gene Balk, Daniel Beekman and Hal Bernton contributed to this report. Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @Jim_Brunner. Lewis Kamb: 206-464-2932 or lkamb@seattletimes.com. On Twitter @lewiskamb


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Mass evacuation in Syria to get under way after deadly blast
16/04/2017 - 13:12:11Back to Syria World Home
More than 3,000 Syrians are expected to be evacuated from four areas as part of a population transfer that was briefly stalled by a deadly blast that killed scores of people, most of them government supporters.
The United Nations is not overseeing the transfer deal on Sunday, which involves residents of the pro-government villages of Foua and Kfarya and the opposition-held towns of Madaya and Zabadani.
All four have been under siege for years, their fate linked through a series of reciprocal agreements that the UN says have hindered aid deliveries.
Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said 3,000 people will be evacuated from Foua and Kfarya, while 200, the vast majority of them fighters, will be evacuated from Zabadani and Madaya.
Mr Abdurrahman said Saturday's blast - which hit an area where thousands of evacuated government loyalists had been waiting for hours - killed 112. He said the dead included 98 people from Foua and Kfarya.
After the blast, 60 buses carrying 2,200 people, including 400 opposition fighters, entered areas held by rebels in the northern province of Aleppo, Mr Abdurrahman said.
More than 50 buses and 20 ambulances carrying some 5,000 Foua and Kfarya residents entered the government-held city of Aleppo, Syrian state TV said, with some of them later reaching a shelter in the village of Jibreen to the south.
UN relief coordinator Stephen O'Brien said he was "horrified" by the deadly bombing, and that while the UN was not involved in the transfer it was ready to "scale up our support to evacuees".
He called on all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, and to "facilitate safe and unimpeded access for the UN and its partners to bring life-saving help to those in need".
Residents of Madaya and Zabadani, formerly summer resorts, joined the 2011 uprising against President Bashar Assad. Both came under government siege in the ensuing civil war.
Residents of Foua and Kfraya, besieged by the rebels, have lived under a steady hail of rockets and mortars for years, but were supplied with food and medicine through military airdrops.
Critics say the string of evacuations, which could see some 30,000 people moved across battle lines over the next 60 days, amounts to forced displacement along political and sectarian lines.
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Father of woman killed fighting in Syria: 'I should have done more'
Syrian anti-aircraft missile blamed for blast outside Turkish Cypriot village
syriaevacuation
TV presenter and YouTube star and Emily Hartridge dies
A statement posted on her Instagram account on Saturday confirmed her death.
Nine dead as plane carrying parachutists crashes in Sweden
Witness reports in the Swedish media said some of the parachutists were seen trying to jump off the plane just before the crash.
Gulf Coast drenched as Storm Barry makes landfall
The storm was downgraded from a hurricane.
Man convicted over UK's biggest cash robbery 'critical' after being shot at house owned by comedian Russell Kane
Armed officers were called to the scene.
No-deal Brexit will leave UK 'at mercy of French' warns Chancellor
The Chancellor says Paris will be able to 'dial up' queues for traffic going into the port of Calais at will.
Trump tells congresswomen to 'go back to broken places from which they came'
The US president's tweets drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said the president wants to 'make America white again'.
UK ambassador says Trump pulled out of Iran deal in an 'act of vandalism'
President scrapped deal to curb Tehran's nuclear programme because it was signed by Barack Obama, according to leaked diplomatic cable.
London man, 25, charged with stabbing murder of pregnant woman and baby's manslaughter
Aaron McKenzie was arrested on Thursday.


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