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ATHENS (Sputnik) - Bulgaria's Bulgargaz and Russia's Gazprom have agreed for Bulgaria to start receiving Russian gas directly from the TurkStream pipeline rather than through Romania starting 1 January to save some 81 million leva ($45 million), the Bulgarian gas company has said in a statement.

According to a statement, the Russian and Bulgarian gas giants signed an additional agreement on 30 December under which Bulgaria is to switch from receiving gas from the Negru Voda point in Romania to its own compressor station in Strandzha where the fuel will come from Turkey.

"The financial gains from changing the receiving point are estimated to be approximately 81 million leva. Bulgargaz and customers in Bulgaria will save by no longer having to pay for access to and transit through the territory of Romania worth an approximate 76 million leva", the statement read.

Lower prices set by the Bulgartransgaz operator for gas via Strandzha adds an additional 4.6 million leva to the total savings.

The company has promised lower gas prices in the next three months and said it was in talks with Gazprom to negotiate better prices for Bulgaria. Sofia has also voiced a readiness to transit Russian gas westward to Greece and North Macedonia.

TurkStream is a projected 570-mile twin pipeline to run from Russia through the Black Sea to Turkey, at which point one of the branches will continue further up to southern and southeastern Europe. The launch is scheduled for 8 January, as both branches are now filled with fuel.

Russia has been supplying gas to Bulgaria since 1974 and is currently the only exporter of natural gas on the Bulgarian market. Last year, Bulgaria finished building a 7-mile segment of a pipe to link TurkStream to the so-called Balkan Stream pipeline network of Bulgaria and Serbia.

SOFIA, January 1. /TASS/. Bulgaria has begun to receive Russian gas via the TurkStream gas pipeline, Executive Director of Bulgaria’s Bulgartransgaz operator Vladimir Malinov announced on Wednesday.

"Bulgartransgaz and Russia’s Gazprom Export company finalized talks in the last days of 2019 and today, Bulgaria began to receive Russian gas via Turkey instead of Ukraine," Bulgarian National Radio quoted Malinov as saying. According to him, Bulgaria will get 2.9 bln cubic meters of gas annually. Malinov added that the country’s gas infrastructure facilities were ready to absorb that amount of gas.

Bulgartransgaz executive director added that Bulgaria would be able to reduce the payment of transit fees by about 70 mln lev (35 mln euro) and gas prices would go down by five percent.

As a policyholder, know that even a cashless facility can be denied in a network hospital.

Cashless health insurance is one of the main attractions of health insurance policies. Policyholders pay premiums and in case of hospitalization, the insurance company bears the costs up to the limit of the policy’s sum insured amount.

Hence, as part of the contract, the insurer is liable to pay the claim to the hospital on behalf of the insured. However, there can be times where the insurance company does not settle the policyholder’s claim. (Both at network or non-network hospitals).

Cashless Claims: In a cashless claim, the policyholder does not pay the hospital bills in case of hospitalization and the insurer pays for the same. This happens with networking hospitals. The hospitals that offer cashless claims for every hospitalization to the policyholder, enter into an agreement with insurers and are part of the list of network hospitals of that insurance company.

Reimbursement Claims: In case of a reimbursement claim, the policyholder has to pay the hospital bills, which then is reimbursed by the insurer. Those that are not on such a list of the insurance company are called non-network hospitals and claims are processed on a reimbursement basis.

When a cashless claim can be denied:

As a policyholder, know that even a cashless facility can be denied in a network hospital. This can happen if the information sent by the hospital where the policyholder is admitted, is insufficient. It could also happen if the illness is not covered under the policy or if the request for pre-authorization is not sent in time. The hospital needs to give all the details required for the insurer to arrive at a decision, in a cashless situation. When such pieces of information are not given properly, a claim is rejected.

However, even if the cashless facility is denied at one hospital, a policyholder gets the treatment from the hospital by paying out of his/her own pocket and can subsequently, submit the claim for reimbursement, on discharge from the hospital.

This could also work when in case of a medical emergency, a policyholder gets oneself or a family member admitted to a hospital which might not be a network hospital with the insurance policy. In that case, the cashless claim will be denied, but the policyholder can get the expenses reimbursed from the insurer.

How To Make Sense Of Foreign Protests, Conflicts And Uprisings Caitlin Johnstone Follow Aug 27 · 6 min read

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, our government-funded media outlet, has published an article titled “Australian expat living in Hong Kong throws off business suit to join protest movement”. The entire story is in the headline: some random guy, who ABC keeps anonymous but for the name “Daniel”, has joined the protests in Hong Kong. That’s it. That’s the whole entire bombshell newsworthy news story.

“In Australia we have proper democracy but in Hong Kong, democracy is being slowly eroded away and I’ll try to do whatever I can to try and help the cause,” the anonymous guy told ABC.

This sort of enthusiastic empty non-story cheerleading is typical for western media coverage of the Hong Kong protests so far, while these same media outlets consistently ignore or downplay protests against the government of France, Israel, Honduras, India, Indonesia and any other region that happens to fall within the US-centralized power alliance. It’s an amazingly reliable pattern: the entire western political/media class finds protests and uprisings endlessly fascinating when they are in opposition to governments which haven’t yet been absorbed into the imperial blob like China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela, Syria, pre-collapse Libya, or then-Moscow-aligned Ukraine, but any protests or uprisings within that empire are ignored at best or demonized at worst.

If dissidents in the United States began donning yellow vests and holding aggressive demonstrations in the current media environment, you could safely bet your bottom dollar that they would be ignored for as long as possible and then smeared as fascists, antisemites and/or Russian pawns thereafter. This would happen with absolute certainty.

This very reliable trend in the western media is very interesting, because it also happens to be the known position of the US State Department.

In 2017 a memo was leaked to Politico in which the sniveling John Bolton lackey Brian Hook explained to DC neophyte Rex Tillerson how to perform his job as Secretary of State with regard to human rights violations. Hook explained that the US government must downplay and ignore the human rights violations of US allies like Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Philippines while aggressively targeting unabsorbed governments like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea for any allegations of human rights violations on their part.

“In the case of US allies such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the Philippines, the Administration is fully justified in emphasizing good relations for a variety of important reasons, including counter-terrorism, and in honestly facing up to the difficult tradeoffs with regard to human rights,” Hook explained in the memo.

“One useful guideline for a realistic and successful foreign policy is that allies should be treated differently — and better — than adversaries,” Hook wrote. “Otherwise, we end up with more adversaries, and fewer allies. The classic dilemma of balancing ideals and interests is with regard to America’s allies. In relation to our competitors, there is far less of a dilemma. We do not look to bolster America’s adversaries overseas; we look to pressure, compete with, and outmaneuver them. For this reason, we should consider human rights as an important issue in regard to US relations with China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.”

This State Department memo is really all you need to understand what’s going on whenever there’s any kind of uprising or conflict in a foreign nation. Hell, it’s almost all you need to understand the dynamics of empire in general. And, combined with the consistent pattern we’ve seen in coverage of protests and uprisings against empire-absorbed governments versus unabsorbed ones, it certainly tells you all you need to know about the state of the western media.

In theory the US Department of State was meant to serve as a counterpart to what was then called the Department of War (later falsely re-titled the “Department of Defense”). In theory the State Department was meant to specialize in peace and diplomacy in the same way the War Department specialized in war. In practice the warmongers just got two war departments.

Understand this one basic concept and you can understand all the hot topic foreign policy issues of any given day: there is an alliance of nations, centralized around US military and economic power, which effectively functions as a single empire. This empire works tirelessly to either absorb unabsorbed governments into its blob, or at least to undermine and marginalize them so they can’t impede the empire’s growth. The goal of the empire is total global domination without causing a nuclear war and without the public noticing that they’re living in an empire. In this sense it’s essentially a silent, slow motion third world war.

I see some of my readers voicing confusion about the protests in Hong Kong, but if you understand the basic dynamic I just described you’ll see that this is really no different from the protests and uprisings we’ve seen in Venezuela, Iran, Syria, Libya and Ukraine: the western political/media class are backing an uprising which benefits the imperial blob and undermines an unabsorbed government. This doesn’t mean that the protesters don’t have grievances or that none of those grievances are legitimate, it just means that you’re being told to cheerlead for an agenda by empire narrative managers solely because your doing so benefits that empire.

So don’t. Refuse to be a pro bono CIA propagandist. This doesn’t mean you need to oppose the protesters in Hong Kong, Venezuela or anywhere else, it just means that the only people who benefit from westerners cheerleading a CIA-approved uprising against an unabsorbed government are your rulers, who work endlessly to manufacture support for pro-empire agendas.

People who don’t get this sometimes tell me that we should “support” the protesters in a given unabsorbed region, but they’re always very reluctant to say what they mean by “support”. Do they mean simply joining the western mass media in uncritically cheerleading for an uprising which benefits western power structures? Do they mean send them money? Weapons? An emotional thumbs-up? Prayers? Getting someone to say what they mean when they say we should “support” the Hong Kong protesters or whomever is like pulling teeth, because it would bring up a lot of cognitive dissonance to actually turn and examine what’s behind the impulse they’re following: narrative management. They’re promoting pro-empire narrative management, and nothing more. And they’re doing this because the empire narrative managers trained them to.

“Centrist” empire loyalists tend to ignore the protests in places like France while amplifying and cheerleading the protests in places like Hong Kong. Right-wing empire loyalists sometimes do it a little differently, actively conflating the Yellow Vests protests with protests in places like Hong Kong despite the very different forces that are at play in those two situations. But in both cases they’re effectively mirroring the same State Department posture that Brian Hook tried to educate into Rex Tillerson in 2017.

Don’t subject yourself to such indignities. If the political/media class is going to propagandize the masses into supporting the advancement of the agendas of the empire, at least make them do it without your help.

___________________________

The best way to get around the internet censors and make sure you see the stuff I publish is to subscribe to the mailing list for my website, which will get you an email notification for everything I publish. My work is entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, purchasing some of my sweet merchandise, buying my new book Rogue Nation: Psychonautical Adventures With Caitlin Johnstone, or my previous book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers. For more info on who I am, where I stand, and what I’m trying to do with this platform, click here. Everyone, racist platforms excluded, has my permission to republish or use any part of this work (or anything else I’ve written) in any way they like free of charge.

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Attorney General Dale Marshall is encouraging former owners of the Liquidation Centre building on Bay Street, The City to take possession of the items being stored if they were concerned about theft.

This advice comes on the heels of reports that some of the items that were removed from the building several weeks ago were stolen.

Confirming the report and without giving detail, Marshall told journalists on Tuesday that the stolen items have since been recovered.

“It is regrettable that would have happened. A report was made to me that there was an incident that the area where the things were being stored was broken into. I think the security measures have been upped so as to eliminate that. The things that were stolen have been recovered,” he said.

“So the sooner Mrs Ram takes possession of her belongings, the better for all of us. They are her things. We have moved them out, they are still her things. So she needs to come and take possession of them. Plain and simple,” added Marshall.

Government has compulsory acquired the Bay Street property, owned by prominent businesswoman Asha Mrs Ram Mirchandani, to facilitate construction of a Hyatt Hotel on that stretch of beachfront land.

During the week of November 18, the Ministry of Housing, with the assistance of the Royal Barbados Police Force, took possession of the Liquidation Centre building and subsequently began the process of removing and storing millions of dollars in stock.

This came shortly after Mirchandani held a ‘kick-me-out sale’ in an effort to get rid of some of the merchandise.

Hundreds of Central American migrants crossed the river into Mexico from Guatemala Thursday after a dayslong standoff with security forces.

Carrying US and Honduran flags at the head of the procession, they walked along a highway toward a waiting contingent of dozens of national guardsmen with riot shields and body armor and vans from the National Immigration Institute.

Jose Luis Morales, a Salvadoran leader of the caravan, said the migrants want to negotiate to be allowed to pass peacefully.

But Mexico has cracked down on the large caravans seen previously following intense pressure from Washington last year.

Thursday's movement was a resurgence of a migrant caravan that had been diminishing since its last concerted attempt to cross the border Monday was turned back by Mexican National Guardsmen posted along Suchiate river, which forms the border here.

The national guardsmen awaited the caravan outside the community of Frontera Hidalgo, near Ciudad Hidalgo where the migrants crossed the Suchiate river at dawn.

Mexico began flying and busing members of the caravan back to Honduras on Tuesday.

Seven more buses left Mexico for Honduras on Wednesday, carrying 240 migrants back home, and two flights left with an additional 220 Hondurans, Mexico's National Immigration Institute said.

By Wednesday, the number of people outside the Casa del Migrante in Tecun Uman was perhaps half of what it was at its peak Sunday night.

In previous caravans, Mexican authorities have allowed caravans to walk for awhile, seemingly to tire them out, and then closed their path.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney DUP leader Arlene Foster

Simon Coveney urges 'new beginning' as Stormont talks set to resume BelfastTelegraph.co.uk Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has called for a "new beginning" as talks to restore power-sharing resume tomorrow at Stormont. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/simon-coveney-urges-new-beginning-as-stormont-talks-set-to-resume-38827500.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/b1f78/38827498.ece/AUTOCROP/h342/2020-01-02_new_56004090_I1.JPG

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Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has called for a "new beginning" as talks to restore power-sharing resume tomorrow at Stormont.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said her party aimed to secure a "fair and balanced" deal.

The parties have just 11 days to reach a compromise. Secretary of State Julian Smith has warned that he will call a fresh Assembly election if an agreement hasn't been brokered by then.

Mr Smith will hold bilateral meetings with the parties before a round-table discussion at Stormont House.

Mr Coveney yesterday urged Northern Ireland politicians to show leadership and generosity in the negotiations.

He said the new year offered a chance for a fresh beginning and he urged all sides not to disappoint the public again. The dialogue had been paused for the Christmas holidays.

The Tanaiste held pre-talks with Mr Smith yesterday.

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
Delhi Police issued a total of 352 challans for drink-and-drive cases on the eve of New Year, officials said on Wednesday.

Security was beefed up across the national capital, especially in the vicinity of markets, malls, five-star hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars, in order to ensure orderly celebrations. All PCR vans, Raftaar motorcycles and Prakhar vans were dynamically deployed at vulnerable points, according to police officials.

There was heavy police presence, fire tender deployment and traffic arrangements at areas where high footfall was anticipated such as Connaught Place among other places.

Police had warned that any incident of hooliganism and drunk driving would be dealt with strictly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

The Delhi Police made elaborate traffic arrangements for the smooth flow of traffic throughout Delhi on New Year's eve. (Image for representation: PTI)

The Delhi Police on Wednesday informed that a total of 352 challans were issued on New Year's Eve for drunken driving.

The Delhi Police had made elaborate traffic arrangements for the smooth flow and regulation of traffic throughout the national capital.

Special arrangements were made for the areas in the vicinity of Connaught Place. Several restrictions were imposed from 8.00 pm onwards on December 31 in the vicinity of Connaught Place till the conclusion of New Year celebrations.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Eish Singhal had earlier said that women safety remains the top priority during New Year celebrations in the national capital.

Nearly new home in Kerrisdale Estate is available at 6 Mod Crescent, Beaconsfield.

Nearly new home in Kerrisdale Estate is available at 6 Mod Crescent, Beaconsfield.

HOME OF THE WEEK

6 Mod Crescent, Beaconsfield

IMMACULATELY presented inside and out, this two-year-old home built by Fergus Builders could be yours for $499,000.

The brick home with hardi plank feature walls has 215sq m of space underneath the Colorbond roof.

It is modern in style and design with vinyl timber grain flooring and quality fixtures and fittings throughout.

Open-plan living and airconditioning throughout make the home cool and comfortable.

A large designer kitchen offers stone benchtops, island bench, pendant lights, pot drawers, double sink, stainless steel appliances, black ceramic glass cook top stove with touch panels, dishwasher, plumbing for fridge and stacks of storage

The master bedroom has his and hers walk-in wardrobes, en suite with double screenless rainmaker shower and the convenience of a double vanity.

The four bedrooms all have built-in wardrobes and television points.

A stylish main bathroom has freestanding bath tub and rainmaker shower.

The two-way laundry room has stone bench tops, pull out hose mixer, heaps of storage, linen and broom cupboards.

An outdoor covered entertaining area in the backyard has three-door sliding panels and adjustable privacy blinds, with television and outdoor power points.

The double garage is remote control and has flake flooring and a three-door storage cupboard.

The home also has 6kw solar panels, a 315litre hot water system and velocity internet.

A fully automated sprinkler system will keep your lawn green.

Located in Kerrisdale Estate and surrounded by quality homes is yet another advantage.

A tradie's dream is waiting for a buyer at 51 Investigator Street, Andergrove.

BARGAIN HUNTER

51 Investigator Street, Andegrove

HERE is a property tradie's dream of set on a 745sq m block with a three-bay lock-up shed that has three phase power.

This four-bedroom, one-bathroom home has room for up to six vehicles in the huge backyard that also features side access for a boat or trailer.

It's priced at $350,000 negotiable and is conveniently located close to shops, schools and would be ideal for a large family.

The home as an estimated rental appraisal of $430-$450 per week.

Open for inspection Saturday, noon-12.30pm.

A newly renovated home is available at 25 Nautilus Parade, Bucasia.

MIDDLE OF ROAD

25 Nautilus Parade, Bucasia

THIS three-bedroom, two-bathroom house has been given a fresh makeover.

All bedrooms have built-in wardrobes, master with walk-in wardrobe and brand new carpet, airconditioning, down lights, ceiling fans and window furnishings throughout.

Open-plan living is featured between the kitchen, dining and lounge areas.

Out the back cool off in the in-ground saltwater pool or tinker in the single-bay powered shed. All of this sits on 700sq m block and priced at $435,000 negotiable.

Open for inspection Saturday, 10-10.30am.

A unique beachfront opportunity is waiting for a buyer at 60 Admiral Drive, Dolphin Heads.

HIGH END

60 Admiral Drive, Dolphin Heads

A UNIQUE opportunity to purchase one of Mackay's premier, beachfront homes.

This luxurious four-bedroom family home has exceptional views from most rooms. The custom-built home was designed as an entertainer's paradise wit multiple outdoor entertaining areas, pool and expansive gardens.

This 3243sq m property with 180-degree views is priced at $1.25 million has lots of prospective buyers, it won't last long.

Open for inspection Saturday, 11-11.30am.

Periyar University (PU) is expected to declare the result for undergraduate and postgraduate examination for exams held in November 2019 today, January 1st, reports say. All the candidates who have appeared for this year’s exams will be able to check their result online from Periyar University website - periyaruniversity.ac.in.

Once the results are announced, candidates will be able to check the same from the official website. Further, candidates will have the option to request for exam revaluation, re-checking on the PU website for 10 days from the result declaration.

As timing for result announcement is unknown, candidates are hereby advised to check the Periyar University website every few hours for any result update. Also, our website will have any updates on the Periyar University UG, PG result 2019 and candidates can check it there as well.

Around 1.50 lakh students combined appear for UG and PG exams conducted by the university at 105 affiliated colleges at Periyar University. The university offers several UG and PG courses and also has a distance learning education programme called PRIDE.

How to check Periyar University UG/PG result

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Wednesday said the training of astronauts for the ambitious manned mission 'Gaganyaan' will commence from the third week of January in Russia.

Four astronauts have been identified for the mission, ISRO chief K Sivan said adding the training of astronauts will start from third week of this month in Russia.

The work related to and Gaganyaan was going on simultaneously, he told reporters here.

The ISRO chief also congratulated the Chennai based techie who recently located the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-2 that hard-landed and maintained that it was the space agency's policy not to release picture of the crashed module.

"We know where it crashed and where it is located," Sivan said.

To a question on what went wrong with Vikram lander, he said it was due to velocity reduction failure.

"The velocity reduction failure was due to internal reasons," he said.

Chandrayaan-2 mission was India's first attempt to land on lunar surface. The ISRO had planned the landing on the South Pole of the lunar surface. However, the lander Vikram hard-landed.

But as the ruling NLD enters its fifth and final year in office, the optimism has turned into bitterness and frustration as people are hauled to court and jailed for speaking their minds.

Human rights activists said the laws that the Tatmadaw (military) juntas used to suppress individual freedom are still very much in use by military and civilian officials.

Among the laws that rights advocates said curtail freedom of expression are Section 66(d) of the Telecommunications Law, the Law Protecting the Privacy and Security of Citizens, sections 505(a) and (b), and 124(a) of the Penal Code, and the Peaceful Assembly and Peaceful Procession Law.

Athan, a freedom of expression group, said that over 250 people were either imprisoned or charged with violating laws that restrict freedom of expression through June this year.

U Aye Maung, who formerly represented Rakhine State’s Ann constituency in the Pyithu Hluttaw (Lower House), and ethnic Rakhine author Wai Hin Aung were found guilty by a Rahine court of incitement and high treason for their speeches to a public gathering in Mrauk-U township. They were sentenced to 22 years in prison.

In his speech, U Aye Maung had said, “Burmese people only think of Rakhine people as slaves and deny them equal rights. There are people going for armed revolution to get sovereignty and by taking advantage of political flaws. We need to get to our goals and change our mindset for self-government again.”

Nationalists like the extremist monk U Wirathu and activist U Hla Swe were also prosecuted because of speeches they made under laws that human rights advocates see as curtailing free expression. They faced life imprisonment if found guilty.

U Wirathu was charged because of his speeches at demonstrations against amendments to the 2008 Constitution. U Hla Swe was changed over his speeches at demonstrations supporting the military at Yangon City Hall. Officials said their speeches had defamed the government.

Both are still at large, have standing arrest warrants, and are considered fugitives from the law.

In Loikaw, the capital of Kayah State, six Karenni youths were sentenced to six months in prison for describing State Chief Minister U L Paung Sho and Kayah State Planning and Finance Minister as “political criminals and Karenni national betrayers” during a protest against erecting a statue of independence hero Bogyoke Aung San in a park.

In Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, a judge sentenced two youth activists to 15 days in prison for holding a street performance to mark the eighth anniversary of the resumption of clashes in the strife-torn state. When one of the activists handed the judge a broken scale, he was given an additional three months in jail.

U Myo Nyunt, NLD spokesperson, said that Myanmar’s laws restricting freedom of expression are necessary to maintain law order in the country as it transitions to democracy.

He said that even though the NLD had fought military dictatorships for decades, it had to be careful when opposing laws implemented under the repressive regime.

“Democratic countries face the inevitable problem of groups that have different opinions and violent protest,” he said. “We have to manage them according to the law. Acts that violate the law are undemocratic.”

U Myo Nyunt said courts under the NLD-led government had been “relatively lenient” in sentencing those found guilty of breaking freedom of expression laws. Unlike previous regimes, the NLD-led government does not interfere in the judicial process, he said.

The Tatmadaw also charges people under freedom of expression laws, mostly ‘section 505(a) sedition.’

But advocates said they would not settle for anything less than total freedom of expression.

“It’s very important for the authorities of Myanmar to immediately repeal the laws that target and oppress peaceful activists and critics,” said Nicholas Bequelin, Southeast Asia regional director for Amnesty International.

The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) expressed concern about what it saw as the deterioration of freedom of speech and expression in Myanmar.

“The climate of freedom of speech has terribly deteriorated and is now in critical condition,” the group said in a statement.

AAPP said there are 633 political prisoners in the country’s prisons.

As of November this year, 80 people were jailed for political offences, 180 are facing trial while being detained in prison, and 373 are awaiting trial outside of prison, it said.

Freedom of speech is one of the fundamental rights that strengthen democracy. Filing court cases against, and giving prison sentences to, activists, workers and civilians who express their views stunts the democratic process, the group said.

Human rights activists have demanded the amendment or repeal of laws that restrict freedom of speech and expression. But neither the government nor parliament have shown any sign of paying attention to the demands, as the two institutions struggle to seek a balance between individual freedom and collective responsibility. – Translated

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Norovirus was a contributing cause of the death of a person who had attended a function at a New Hampshire restaurant where a group of guests became sick, health officials said Tuesday.

Eighteen people who became ill attended the private function Nov. 24 at the Puritan Backroom conference center in Manchester, the state Department of Health and Human Services said. The person who later died was an adult from Hillsborough County. No other details were issued about the person, in accordance with federal and state privacy laws.

The state medical examiner's office completed its final report Tuesday after conducting an autopsy last month.

The restaurant is co-owned by U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas. It has been in his family for more than a century and is a frequent stop for presidential candidates of both parties.

The manager of the Puritan Backroom said recently that the restaurant's top priorities are promoting health and excellent food safety and that he was confident it was doing everything possible to maintain those practices.

After the outbreak, the Manchester Health Department conducted an inspection of the restaurant. Officials determined there was no ongoing norovirus risk to the public.

Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Instruction: Retrieve semantically similar text.


Question:
A Chinese national was arrested and booked on the charge of beating up a traffic policeman who prevented him from parking his car in a no-parking zone in Karachi's Qayyumabad area on Wednesday, according to officials.

They said that the foreigner was trying to park his vehicle in a no-parking area near Imtiaz Super Market at Qayyumabad.

Traffic police constable Amir, who was posted at Zaman Town traffic section, tried to prevent him from parking his car there following which the Chinese national beat up the constable and tried to run, said superintendent of police (SP) traffic Korangi district.

Members of the public present at the scene got hold of the Chinese citizen before he could escape and handed him over to police.

The Zaman Town traffic section officer handed over his custody to Korangi Industrial Area police, which has launched an investigation into the incident after lodging a first information report against the suspect, according to a press release issued by the traffic police.

Chinese national arrested for allegedly assaulting traffic police officer

KARACHI: A Chinese national allegedly assaulted a traffic police officer after being charged with a no-parking offense, police said Wednesday.

The Chinese citizen reportedly beat the officer near the Qayyumabad area of Karachi and severely injured the officer to the extent that the officer had to be taken to a nearby hospital.

The foreigner who was involved in the violent incident has been arrested.

Read more: Man arrested for threatening cop after violating traffic rules

The Chinese national was travelling with a driver, who said he was following his employer’s orders. "I had parked the car in a no parking zone," admitted the driver.

"The officer had asked me to remove the car, however my employer [Chinese national] did not let me," he added.

The driver said that the assault came as a response to the traffic police, who tried to remove the car forcefully.

"The traffic police began to take the car away using a lifter, after which my employer started beating the officer badly."

ROCKPORT — The Midcoast Recreation Center’s rookie program for ice hockey players six years old and younger, as well as its learn to play ice hockey program for those seven and older, will begin Monday, Jan. 6.

Registration is open for both introductory ice hockey programs.

The rookie program will be held Mondays and Fridays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. and is held at no cost for the first month of being within the rookie program.

Once the rookie program is completed, players graduate to the 6U learn to play hockey program and then to the 6U mighty-mites program.

Those seven years old and older can participate in a learn to play hockey program Mondays and Fridays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:20 p.m. for $30 for one day or $50 for two days.

Participants in the learn to play hockey program will learn fundamental skating skills necessary for ice hockey.

Each player needs a USA Hockey number in order to be on the ice. Prior to register, visit USAhockeyregistration.com to receive a conformation number to be used during registration.

Reach the sports department at: sports@penbaypilot.com.

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Pope Francis reacted angrily when he was grabbed on the arm by a woman at the Vatican as he was meeting pilgrims in St Peter’s Square on New Year’s Eve.

The pope was walking through the square, greeting people after a Vespers service, when he was grabbed on the arm by a woman. The pope appeared to be slightly hurt as she pulled him towards her, and slapped her hand when she refused to let go. Credit: Vatican TV via Storyful

VANCOUVER -- Police are investigating after a Jewish summer camp on Gabriola Island was vandalized with hateful graffiti, including swastikas.

A caretaker at Camp Miriam discovered the vandalism on Dec. 19, though investigators said it's possible the graffiti was left as far back as early September.

"There's a large gap there that we're trying to narrow," Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey told CTV News.

Unfortunately, the camp's remote location near the north point of the island means there are few security cameras around that could shed light on who is responsible.

Investigators said they're hoping someone with information on what happened will come forward. In the meantime, the RCMP is consulting with its hate crime team.

"We completely understand the feelings that that the community may have … discovering something like this, and we just want to reassure them that we're taking this seriously," O'Donaghey said.

Camp Miriam hosts elementary school and high school children over the summers, and teaches them about "Israel, Jewish history, social justice and the environment," according to its website.

James Dayson of the Miriam Foundation described the camp as "such a special place" to the young campers who go there.

While the vandalism was disturbing, Dayson said he's thankful there were no kids at camp when it was discovered.

He also said the response from the small island community – including hundreds of messages of support on social media – has been a silver lining on an otherwise unfortunate situation.

"The response we've had has been absolutely beautiful," he said. "The don't want something like this to reflect on their community. It's obviously an isolated incident – we've never had issues with safety."

Dayson said some Gabriola residents have also organized a candlelit vigil for the afternoon of Jan. 2 outside the Camp Miriam property.

He's hopeful they can take the experience and use it to spread awareness.

"This is an opportunity to have more education," Dayson said. "We have a meeting coming up in January where one of the things we want to discuss is how do we take this negative situation and make it into something positive."

Police said anyone with information on the graffiti can contact the Gabriola RCMP detachment at 250-247-8333. Tipsters who want to remain anonymous can instead call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Spencer Harwood

Israel demolishes newly built houses of Palestinian families on New Year’s Day

Al-Khalaileh families shocked to wake up and be told army had started to demolish their two houses in East Jerusalem

Sondus Ewies

Wed, 01/01/2020 – 14:15

A sign stating ‘Danger, demolition. Entry is prohibited’ was placed by Israeli authorities on top of the rubble of the Khalialehs’ houses (MEESondus Ewies)

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Paramount Pictures has released the first full-length trailer for A Quiet Place: Part II.

The 2 minute and 37-second trailer begins with a flashback to the onset of the monster invasion that's already well underway at the start of the first film. After that, we return to the present day, where we find the surviving members of the Abbott family searching for a new place to call home while they attempt to find more survivors. However, as Cillian Murphy's character points out, "The people that are left, they're not the kind of people worth saving."

RELATED: A Quiet Place: Part II Photo Reveals the Return of the Abbott Family

A Quiet Place takes place in a world where humans are forced to live in complete and utter silence due to the existence of murderous creatures with no eyesight but an incredibly heightened sense of hearing. In the first film, Krasinski's Lee Abbott sacrificed himself by screaming to draw the attention of one of the creatures and allowing his family to retreat.

Written and directed by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place: Part II stars Emily Blunt, Djimon Hounsou, Noah Jupe, Millicent Simmonds and Cillian Murphy. The film hits theaters March 20, 2020.

KEEP READING: A Quiet Place 2: Marvel/DC Star Djimon Hounsou Boards as Henry Exits

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A Quiet Place was one of 2018’s perfect cinematic storms. A crowd-pleasing horror adventure with a big, emotional heart. A box office smash, grossing $340 million worldwide on a $17 million budget. A critical darling that used its high concept to tremendous effect. A reminder that Emily Blunt is the profoundly talented leading lady we don’t deserve. And perhaps most surprisingly, evidence that John Krasinski has some serious chops as a filmmaker and that “Jim from The Office” made one of the strongest genre films of the decade and probably shouldn’t be referred to as “Jim from The Office” any longer.

But that means A Quiet Place Part II has a lot to live up to now. Can the story of a family struggling to stay together in a post-apocalyptic landscape filled with monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing continue to prove surprising and terrifying and moving? We shall see, but the first proper trailer for the sequel certainly suggests yes.

A Quiet Place Part II Trailer

The sequel appears to take place shortly after the events of the first film, with the characters played by Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe venturing away from their formerly safe compound with a newborn baby in tow. While Krasinski is back behind the camera, the fact that his character is extremely dead keeps him from joining that particular journey (although some intense flashback scenes in the trailer suggest he could be back in some capacity). However, with this being a story about the end of the world, the family soon encounters a few survivors who pose that big question: who is the real monster here?

That question is familiar territory for a movie like this, but after the first film, I’m willing to give Krasinski (who has sole screenwriting credit on this one), the benefit of the doubt. Plus, those new survivors include characters played by Cillian Murphy and Djimon Hounsou, two actors who always offer something interesting.

Meanwhile, the brand new official synopsis doesn’t offer us anything that the the trailer doesn’t already suggest:

Following the deadly events at home, the Abbott family (Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe) must now face the terrors of the outside world as they continue their fight for survival in silence. Forced to venture into the unknown, they quickly realize that the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats that lurk beyond the sand path.

A Quiet Place Part II quietly slips into theaters on March 20, 2020.

Basant Maheshwari, PMS manager and Founder, Basant Maheshwari Wealth Advisors, says only big boys will get the pizza from here on while the small ones will only get toppings. In an interview with ETNOW, he said larger players will continue to dominate the stock market going forward. Edited excerpts:You are an expert in identifying mega trends and where the money is going to be made in this decade. Financials account for nearly 40 per cent of the weightage in benchmarks. Last time when one sector had this kind of representation on the Nifty, bad news followed us. The fear is that financials today are looking good. They are like this grand mega trend for the next 10 years but pricing and weightage and over ownership are something which makes me wonder -- will the party continue?Your analysis has already played out. Financials have a 40 per cent weightage in Nifty and there has to be breakage in the sector. So, from the IL&FS days most of the financials are around 40-50-60 per cent down. The analysis has played out. What has not played out the way people would have liked it was -- the leaders taking away all the market share and they are still growing. If all financials collapse, the economy is going to collapse.This is not a recommendation, but if I tell someone that in case you have some extra money, go and buy HDFC Bank or Kotak Bank. But he insists on putting all my money. What would happen if there is a problem in HDFC Bank tomorrow? I would say if there is a problem tomorrow, then on your way to HDFC Bank from your house, look left, look right and see which bank is open because they are the last ones to come in a problem.So, this is what happened. What you are saying is perfectly right and this theory was going around that financials are 40 per cent of the index and there has been a breakage in the system. YES Bank has lost one digit in its price. It has sort of moved from Rs 400 to Rs 40. Look at Indiabulls, it has also lost one digit. From Rs 1,300, the digit one has gone away. The destruction in the market normally happens through digits. It does not happen in percentages.My immediate follow-up question is that let us look at a classic case like Reliance. Between 2005 and 2008, Reliance was a multibagger. Between 2009 and 2014, Reliance did not give great returns. Growth was there; they created new verticals; they added Reliance retail but yet for shareholders it went into time-wise correction. Disruption has happened and market leaders will survive -- that is the theory. But for shareholders, do you think good quality financials now run the risk of getting into time-wise correction?Let me address the Reliance thing first. Between 2003 to 2008, there was a commodity bull run and Reliance was doing well. The investing public has not quite understood the way Reliance Industries would deal with retail consumers. All this time they were doing gross dealing with the government and dealing with bulk production of commodities. If you have a 15-17 per cent growth, then the risk of time correction is always there. But if there is a 30-35 per cent growth, the growth is exclusive, it is a rarity. In such a situation, the risk of time correction does not come through unless the 30 per cent growth falls to 20 per cent growth. Like for example -- HDFC Bank used to grow at 30 per cent, then from 30 per cent it came to 28 per cent, then to 25 per cent, then to 22 per cent and 18 per cent.Over the last 25 years, the growth has stopped in HDFC Bank by 2-3 percentage points every four-five years but still, the stock continues to do well. So it is the way the growth stops, from 40 per cent suddenly you start growing at 15 per cent and the stock has to fall 40 per cent. But that kind of event is not going to come quickly, because if it does, then we will have bigger problems at hand not just dealing with one NBFC or one bank.What do you make of IT as we are into the New Year? Market seems to be jagged for ignoring any news that comes out of Infosys. Do you really see IT playing out as a theme led by the likes of a TCS or do you actually see some of the midcap names actually providing further potential going forward?In the midcap IT space, you can always find that one isolated bet and make money. But the real game for IT was when growth came back to 8-9 per cent even when the IT companies did not innovate enough. The price was going up because of the buybacks undertaken by these companies. However, it has been punctured after the government imposed the buyback tax. If you see post-July last year, i.e. post the Budget, the IT names are not doing the way they were supposed to do. IT is good for a pensioner; you want an 8-10 per cent return, you want a dollar-denominated return in your portfolio, then you are fine with an IT stock.Let’s talk about pharma. A different story is playing there with various factors at play. Would pharma stocks be on your radar?It’s the same thing as IT. An isolated pharma company could do well but broadly there are too many headwinds.You were talking about the compounders and classic cases. As we move to the next decade, will they continue to generate those kind of returns? We saw some new entrants in the last decade. Taking D-Mart for instance, people talked about the valuation that it listed at, it traded at but look at it, you are still sitting on sizable returns if you even bought it on the day of the listing. What happens to cases like these, what could challenge their growth?In 2001, HDFC Bank traded at a price to book of 7 times when it bought over Times Bank. From there, the stock has gone up 50 times. It is not that if a stock trades at 7 times book value, you cannot make money out of it but the time over the next four, five, seven, 10 years is of a few companies doing well. The narrative has changed from small is beautiful to big is great and that is applicable globally. Take for example FANG stocks, the BAT, Baidu, Alibabas -- they control 8 per cent of the global market GDP. In this era of globalisation, the big boys will have all the pizza for themselves and the small ones will only get a few toppings here and there.This whole scare in the market that quality is in a bubble, you completely dismiss that view?No, who am I to decide whether it is a bubble or not? If somebody says there is no value, I say who are you to decide if there is value or not? The value reflects itself on the screen. If the stock is getting manipulated it can last for a day, for a week, for a month. You cannot have a manipulation running for two, three, four, five years. As long as growth is there the party will continue on Dalal Street. It is like the music at the late night party, as long as the music runs you cannot stop people from standing up and dancing.Where do you think that the outperformance will continue and where do you think there is a serious scope for mean reversion?Predicting trends is a loser’s game. If you see a trend, change your train and get into it, do not try and anticipate it because these mega trends may defer themselves for three, four years also. Since 1995, there was this chatter of the US economy crashing. It crashed in 2008 and the crash was held back because of the internet innovation that created so much productivity that the US did not crash for 13 years. Do not go and predict a new trend but when you see a new trend you jump into it and it takes you three days to change trains.Are you seeing any new trends emerge?No. But all the trends we do not get to participate in are all in the private equity domain.How are you investing in this environment where you know that there is a lot of liquidity and very few stocks will continue to surprise you? Disruption has happened everywhere and largecap companies because of disruption are gaining market share. The question is how much of this thesis is being played out? People on the Street are saying that ultimately investing is about buying gold at the price of silver, not buying gold at the price of diamond?You buying gold at the price of silver is great but if the gold that you bought thinking is actually gold and turns out to be silver, then you do not have a great deal. And that is what happened. You need a catalyst for the valuations to change and there are several catalysts: A dividend, a stake sale, sale of land but the biggest catalyst is growth and growth is a recurring catalyst; it is not a one-time catalyst; it comes around year after year. As long as the growth continues, I do not think any trend would change but when the growth stops then you have to sell out and move out.

Kim Jong-un says the world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by North Korea in the near future - KCNA via KNS

North Korea is to abandon its moratorium on nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile tests, Kim Jong-un has announced.

Addressing a meeting with party officials, the North Korean leader also said the country would unveil a new strategic weapon in the new future, the country's official KCNA news agency reported on Wednesday.

"There is no ground for us to get unilaterally bound to the commitment any longer," he is quoted as saying.

"The world will witness a new strategic weapon to be possessed by the DPRK in the near future."

North Korea has not tested a long-range missile or nuclear warhead since 2017 under a self-imposed moratorium.

But in recent weeks the North Koreans had been more bellicose as tensions escalated on the Korean peninsula.

Kim had signalled that Pyongyang was preparing a "gift" which would be unveiled if the US failed to make significant concessions in negotiations by the end of the year.

He paved the way for the move at a meeting of 300 top officials.

The North Koreans had been demanding the lifting of sanctions as a price for stepping up the pace of peace talks which appeared to have stalled.

His announcement will be a blow for Donald Trump who thought personal diplomacy could end decades of hostility.

A series of summits raised hopes that the US president's unconventional diplomatic approach could bear fruit.

Mr Trump, who had derided Kim as "Rocket Man", struck a different note over the summer praising the leader of the rogue regime.

The US president on Tuesday said he believed Kim would stick to his commitments on denuclearisation.

"We did sign a contract, talking about denuclearisation. That was the number one sentence, 'denuclearisation', that was done in Singapore. I think he's a man of his word," a tuxedo-wearing Mr Trump told reporters before heading into New Year festivities at his holiday retreat in Florida.

In Florida Mr Trump repeated his previous comments that he and Kim "like" each other and have a very good relationship.

"He is representing his country. We will do what we have to do," he added.

Hopes had been raised further when the two men met at the demilitarised zone (DMZ) which divides North and South Korea at the end of June.

The US president maintained that the suspension of nuclear tests was evidence that his approach had succeeded where others had failed and that Kim could be persuaded to give up his nuclear arsenal.

In Washington officials had sought to play down the threat from Pyongyang, despite the increasingly aggressive noises coming from North Korea.

But in recent months relations have worsened and the North Korean leader struck a harsh note at the meeting of the ruling Workers Party.

"The US is raising demands contrary to the fundamental interests of our state and is adopting brigandish attitude," KCNA cited him as saying.

"We can never sell our dignity," he added, saying Pyongyang would "shift to a shocking actual action to make (the US) pay for the pains sustained by our people".

Kim added that "if the US persists in its hostile policy toward the DPRK, there will never be the denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and the DPRK will steadily develop necessary and prerequisite strategic weapons for the security of the state until the U.S. rolls back its hostile policy," according to the agency.

Kim and President Donald Trump have met three times since June 2018, but negotiations have faltered since the collapse of their second summit last February in Vietnam.

The North announced in December that it performed two "crucial" tests at its long-range rocket launch site that would further strengthen its nuclear deterrent, prompting speculation that it was developing an ICBM or planning a satellite launch that would provide an opportunity to advance its missile technologies.

North Korea also last year ended a 17-month pause in ballistic activity by testing a slew of solid-fuel weapons that potentially expanded its capabilities to strike targets in South Korea and Japan, including U.S. military bases there.

The fires in Australia continue, and chilling images and video show the scale of the destruction in all of the states and territories. At least eight people have died since Monday, and seven are missing. Over eleven hundred homes have been lost this fire season in New South Wales alone. New Zealand journalist Rebekah Holt is in Melbourne and joins us as the sun rises through the smoke in Australia this morning.

Photo: Saeed Khan / AFP

To catch up on all the MAFS 2020 recaps and gossip, check out The Twins recaps and visit our MAFS hub page. And sign up for our Recaps newsletter to get them straight into your inbox.

No.

This experiment has been going for five thousand days now, and Michael has an epiphany to share with all of us.

When Stacey wakes up with perfectly blended eyeshadow but also winged eyeliner and lipstick with some highlighter on the tip of her nose and just generally where the light hits and also a dash of blush that’s not actually how she looks naturally do you understand.

He shakes his head furiously as he comes to terms with all the times Stacey must have gotten out of bed and put makeup on only to get back into bed and SIR THE WOMAN WAS WEARING LIP LINER HOW DID THIS TAKE YOU NEARLY TWO MONTHS.

But Michael is beginning to learn something else, too.

“Have you ever had a job?” he asks Stacey, to which she mumbles something about retail and we would never want to pry but Ma’am… how do you pay for things?

"At least I've been employed before," she says smugly and sweetie you're an adult woman who has two children and a law degree we're so confused.

Michael jokes that they could fit her CV on a post-it note which feels rude but they both have a good laugh so it looks like it's play on.

In Newcastle, Lizzie is taking Seb to visit her family so that they can ask him about his property portfolio/how much money he has exactly/what's his pin number etc.

Seb says he's a construction worker and personal trainer but before he can finish Lizzie's mum interjects "THAT DOESN'T PAY WELL" and with all due respect like how do you even know??

Entornointeligente.com /

PRIME Minister Andrew Holness says his Administration is committed to bringing the homicide rate down, but argues that the high number of murders facing the country now did not happen overnight. In his new year’s message to the nation, he pointed out that in the 1980s there were 4,870 murders and that by the decade of the 1990s this increased to 7,621.

By the year 2000, even with the formation of various special squads and units, murders skyrocketed to 13,418 he outlined, adding that, “this past decade, 2010 to 2019, has seen a reduction in murders to 12,698”.

Up to December 28, there were 1,326 murders recorded for 2019, with 26 of them within a week, 3.4 per cent more than 2018. Other serious and violent crimes increased by 2.9 per cent in 2019, equating to 98 more such incidents over the previous year.

“The level of crime we are now experiencing is over and above the capacity of our existing security apparatus to manage. While the crime and murder numbers have grown over the past four decades, successive governments have not increased the national security budget apace, or kept abreast with technology, or increased the number of investigators and other critical capabilities commensurately, or effectively controlled corrupt activity in the force,” the prime minister said.

He said that it is only in this last decade that serious policy and legislative reforms have been undertaken and that “all Jamaicans should take hope that, with sound policy, programmes and plans we can reduce murders”.

However, he stressed that it will take a long-term concerted commitment to stick with the plan.

Furthermore, he said political disunity has not helped with the crime problem. “Gamesmanship over crime-fighting and national security policy have real effects on our lives,” he said, arguing that the lack of support from the Opposition for the continuation of the states of emergency had resulted in a break for the first four months of 2019, and an unusual spike in homicides in November.

At the same time, he expressed confidence in the Government’s plan to secure the country.

“Jamaica is engaged in building a national security architecture fit for the times that will deal with domestic threats, but will also deal effectively with our air and maritime space and borders, in addition to securing our cyber domain which is becoming more important as the world becomes digital. All of this cannot be done overnight or even in two years. It takes a year and a half to procure equipment, at least two years in some cases to draft and pass legislation, several years to train up a seasoned investigator and other skilled law enforcement operators,” said the prime minister. He said much of this is now being done and the Government will be intensifying efforts to bring these reforms and investments more quickly to fruition.

In a December 30 statement, the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, Jamaica Manufacturers’ and Exporters Association, and Jamaica Chamber of Commerce reminded the political directorate that dealing with the issues related to the safety and right to life of our citizenry is non-negotiable. “We ask every Jamaican to join us in holding Government and Opposition accountable and demand the removal of partisan agendas on this topic,” the organisations stated.

Holness noted that in the new fiscal year the largest allocation of $5.28 billion will go towards equipping the police force with cutting-edge technology to enhance its ability to detect, record, respond and prevent crimes.

“The JCF [Jamaica Constabulary Force] will receive the first set of purpose-built police cars fitted with tracking devices and onboard computers,” he said, adding that the police’s radio and communication system is being improved, and that the implementation of the long talked about electronic station diary will begin.

Along with administrative and operational improvements, already the country is seeing the impact on the number and quality of cases being brought before the court to secure convictions, he told the nation.

Meanwhile, Holness said “many great things” happened in 2019, including record low inflation, successful completion of the International Monetary Fund programme, record fall in debt to gross domestic product ratio, the removal of the minimum business tax, longest period of consecutive growth (19 quarters) reduced transfer tax, and more resources for the police and military.

He noted that there were also record tourism arrivals and earnings, launch of the tourism workers’ pension fund, as well as major road and infrastructure development.

In addition, he pointed to the increased suite of benefits under the Programme of Advancement through Health and Education, and the merger of the HEART Trust, Jamaica Foundation for Lifelong Learning, National Youth Service, and the Apprenticeship Board, to create a comprehensive and effective human capital development agency.

Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at http://bit.ly/epaperlive

LINK ORIGINAL: Jamaica Observer

Entornointeligente.com

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Question:
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your New Year's Day may be snowy, but there is plenty of warmth indoors with the people you love. If you are one of the lucky ones who can enjoy the sunny outdoors, be glad for the company.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Friendliness is next to godliness. You are happy to spend time with neighbors and friends as well as family. Watching football or playing a friendly game in the back yard after a meal can bring out someone's competitive streak.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Make a list and prioritize your goals so you can see a clear pattern. Use that pattern to create a resolution you can stick to easily. Accomplish something worthwhile and broaden your horizons by aiming for them resolutely.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): A New Year's Day meal could be sauerkraut and pork, a turkey dinner with all the trimmings, or a pizza delivered to the door. It doesn't really matter what you eat, but it does matter who shares in your holiday togetherness.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You can have fun whether you spend your day with family, football or food. Replace an alphabet soup of unrelated ideas with one strong, overriding objective when you make your new year's resolution. Give ambitions their head.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Some people celebrate the first day of the new year, but to others it's just another day. Whether you work or not, this day could be more special than most. Your circle of friends can help you make smart resolutions.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You are the star of your own show. Whether your social circle is small or large, you'll have a great time sitting around the table or the TV. Make a resolution that reflects your commitment to making someone else happy.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Congratulate the champion of the contest. You may compete with a loved one to see who can create the best surprises or offer the most unique New Year's Day entertainment. Make daily tasks a labor of love.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put your feet up and relax. Loved ones could cater to your every need or smother you with affection. The new year may be a good time to resolve to spend more time with people you know and trust.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): New Year's Day may be spent watching spectator sports or participating in a sport outside in the fresh air. Either way, you could become passionate about the outcome because you are loyal to the bone.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A loved one may demonstrate a deeper level of understanding. Turn a page on the calendar as well as your feelings. Make a resolution to do some of the things you always wanted to do but were afraid to try.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Wish everyone a happy new year with a brief call or visit. Your new year's resolutions might be to make sure that old acquaintances aren't forgotten. Someone who is the target of your romantic fantasies may grow closer.

IF TODAY IS YOUR BIRTHDAY: You are still full of holiday spirit, so the next two to three weeks will be pleasurable indeed. Focus on making long-range plans while your judgment is at a high point. Embrace any opportunity or offer that comes your way, as it is sure to be worth your time and effort. In early February, focus on financial success while your business smarts are in peak condition. You might be more imaginative and romantic during March and April, but you could also be more gullible than usual. You might be distracted by outer appearances. If an opportunity appears, ask for advice from trusted friends or family before making a decision. In July, your daydreams could get in the way of doing what is important, so don't begin anything crucial. Wait until September to make major changes. That is an excellent time to transform your life by taking some giant steps while you have both the business skills and the imagination.

For Thursday, Jan. 2

ARIES: (March 21-April 19) HHH Even if you felt out of sync yesterday, you seem to be able to pull out of the discomfort. Nevertheless, you might opt for a more private 24 hours than you initially anticipated. Make the change OK. Tonight: Surround yourself with inspiring people and music.

TAURUS: (April 20-May 20) HHHHH You prove to be nearly unstoppable, mainly because you are not discussing your plans or ideas; you are simply acting. Of course, you could experience a backfire of the first magnitude. If so, smile and get into the moment anyway. Tonight: Consider an early getaway.

GEMINI: (May 21-June 20) HHHHH Zero in on a friend or a group of friends getting together. Do not be surprised if you find that some of your pals have a party as they wing it from store to store or swap undesirable gifts. Tonight: Maintain a sense of humor and all goes well.

CANCER: (June 21-July 22) HHH A sadness might weave into your day as you eye the fragments of one of your most loved holidays. Inevitably, you toss yourself into what others are doing but decide to get together to share New Year's resolutions. Tonight: With some support, you just might make a resolution a reality.

LEO: (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH Few signs have the capacity to be wickedly naughty and delightfully fun at the same time. Your skills emerge as you look at a potential mini-trip or consider opening up to a new person in your life. Tonight: You will not tolerate interference as you target a goal.

VIRGO: (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHHHH One-on-one relating is your current forte. Others frequently do true confessions with you, but not to the extent you experience now. Attempt to identify with people rather than judge them. Tonight: Be with a favorite person.

LIBRA: (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHHH You aspire to achieve a certain goal and will do just that. Staying focused could be the most significant part of the challenge. Others keep vying for your attention. You, too, love attention. Tonight: Do not lose sight of your intentions.

SCORPIO: (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHH You might be inspired to open up a debate about a matter that could impact you and others. Even with your magnetism and energy, others seem to easily get distracted. Accept that timing is not on your side and is unlikely to be. Tonight: Relax.

SAGITTARIUS: (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHHHH Your spunk and innovative spirit help end this holiday season well. You also might be keenly aware of what is in the offing. Some of you tap into your imagination to create a better bond with a child or loved one. Tonight: Just don't be alone.

CAPRICORN: (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHHH You have a way about your life that is more precise and demanding than others realize. How you handle diverse situations comes down to your core principles. You often do not negotiate because of this reason. An opportunity appears that allows you to learn to flex better and not lose your values. Tonight: Happy at home.

AQUARIUS: (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHHH You might be overwhelmed by the list of to-dos from calls, note-writing and errands. Do not lose faith in your ability to complete what you must. A call of interest comes in. You could be evaluating your response. Tonight: Meet up with a friend.

PISCES: (Feb. 19-March 20) HHH Be aware of your financial limits, especially after the holidays. Though no one likes to say no, you might need to. Using your imagination finds yet another response or possibility. Know it is there. Tonight: Brainstorm with a buddy.

(New York) - The Chinese government's heightened repression faced unprecedented resistance from Hong Kong people and growing criticisms from concerned governments, as the Chinese Communist Party marked the 70th anniversary of its rule, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2020.

This backlash was evident in months of demonstrations opposing Beijing's encroachment on Hong Kong's freedoms and public statements by countries critical of the oppression of Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang.

In the 652-page World Report 2020, its 30th edition, Human Rights Watch reviews human rights practices in nearly 100 countries. In his introductory essay, Executive Director Kenneth Roth says that the Chinese government, which depends on repression to stay in power, is carrying out the most intense attack on the global human rights system in decades. He finds that Beijing's actions both encourage and gain support from autocratic populists around the globe, while Chinese authorities use their economic clout to deter criticism from other governments. It is urgent to resist this assault, which threatens decades of progress on human rights and our future.

The Chinese government continued to subject Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the northwestern Xinjiang region to severe repression. An estimated one million Muslims are being indefinitely held in "political education" camps, where they are forced to disavow their identity and swear loyalty to the Communist Party. Authorities also forcibly separated some of the children whose parents are detained or in exile from their families, and are holding them in state-run "child welfare" institutions and boarding schools. They are also imposing mass surveillance systems - equipped with latest technologies - on the region's residents, scrutinizing them and restricting their movement.

In Hong Kong in April, a court sentenced Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man, scholars who led the 2014 pro-democracy "Umbrella Movement," to 16-month prison terms on public nuisance charges. In June, anger over proposed revisions to laws that would allow extradition of criminal suspects to mainland China prompted a million people to protest. The Hong Kong government's initial refusal to withdraw the bill and the police's excessive use of force led to escalating protests. Hong Kong authorities repeatedly rejected calls for an independent investigation of allegations of police abuse. Since June, authorities have arrested nearly 7,000 people and denied at least 17 applications for protests.

In Tibet, authorities continue to severely restrict freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion. From May to July 2019, thousands of monks and nuns were reportedly expelled from a monastery in Sichuan and their dwellings demolished. In November, Yonten, a former Buddhist monk, became the 156th Tibetan to die of self-immolation since March 2009.

In 2019, authorities continued to crack down on human rights activists, journalists, and lawyers. In July, two months after being released from prison, activist Ji Sizun died from unidentified illnesses, continuing a pattern in recent years in which prominent human rights defenders died in custody or soon after release. Courts in Hubei and Sichuan sentenced activists Liu Feiyue and Huang Qi to 5 and 12 years in prison respectively. Authorities across the country also detained activists and netizens for supporting the Hong Kong protests, including journalist Huang Xueqin.

Authorities deepened their assault on freedom of expression. Police nationwide detained or summoned hundreds of Twitter users, forcing them to delete tweets criticizing the government or to close their accounts. The government launched a disinformation campaign that framed Hong Kong's protesters as violent and extreme, prompting Twitter and Facebook to suspend hundreds of accounts originating in China suspected of being part of the campaign.

Beijing continued to muzzle criticism abroad by monitoring Chinese students on university campuses, harassing critics' family members based in China, censoring Chinese social media platforms which are popular among the diaspora, and leveraging China's economic clout. In October, after a National Basketball Association (NBA) team manager tweeted his support for the Hong Kong protests, Chinese authorities canceled the broadcasts of NBA games in China and demanded the manager's firing. The NBA did not fire him.

A number of governments increasingly called out China's repression, particularly through interventions regarding Xinjiang at the United Nations. In response, China organized a coalition of notorious rights-violating states to rebut the allegations. The United States government sanctioned 28 Chinese entities over Xinjiang abuses. Few other governments moved beyond rhetorical condemnations of Beijing's egregious human rights violations to take concrete actions.

"President Xi Jinping's policies have been challenged by massive protests in Hong Kong and joint statements at the United Nations," said Richardson. "Governments and international institutions should stand with those defending human rights in China and push back against Beijing's repressive policies."

Source: Human Rights Watch

Who remembers brief cases, carried by dads everywhere? Eight pound, spit-shined, Mahogany-colored leather cases, they sometimes had gold plated combination locks and even "feet" so they could stand up on their own. Some expanded, accordion style, to accommodate extra papers from the office.

Brief cases served an important social function. They were instant status. They told the world the men had jobs--they were "businessmen" who went to the office every day. ("Corporate executive" hadn't been invented yet.) Their dads had worn hats and hid behind newspapers on commuter trains for the same reason.

Why were brief cases replaced by messenger bags? One reason, of course, was that people were now carrying laptops. But the bigger reason was people were now carrying cell phones. As soon as cell phones debuted, no one wanted to waste a perfectly good dialing or texting hand holding a brief case. Almost overnight, the only person still using a hand to hold a handbag was the Queen of England.

(Note: the real messengers who gave the name to messenger bags--the "bike messengers"--vanished with email because documents no longer needed to be biked across town.)

Of course there were other reasons people wanted their hands free and unencumbered by brief cases--swipe cards to get in the garage or on transit, water bottles and ubiquitous Starbucks drinks.

The Flight Bag Reprieve

Occasionally, when "businessmen" flew, they were freed from carrying brief cases and could carry flight bags, which were the messenger bag's ancestors. Flight bags gave businessmen a reprieve from "purse stigma" which was so acute back then that cartoons would mock how men would refuse to hold their wives' purses while their wives tried on dresses in department store fitting rooms. (Who remembers dresses and department stores?) Men of that era would also not push baby strollers and some would not be present in the wives' delivery rooms.

Flight bags did not just signal that strict gender codes were disappearing. They were also the first sign that the faux granite plastic-molded luggage of the day would go soft. Bulky, heavy and not on wheels yet, hard luggage often rode on the top of the family car, telling the world you were going On Vacation. Hard luggage had only three benefits. It was waterproof, crushproof and it kept Red Caps in train stations and Sky Caps in airports employed.

What did "Hippies" Carry?

Like young people today, hippies carried backpacks but it was not to leave their hands free for smart phones and swipe cards. It was to free their hands for cigarette smoking and bics. Asking for a light was the preferred way to meet romantic interests who would usually stay and talk for the duration of the smoke.

In those days everyone smoked and the Camel Filters Man was something of an icon. Though not a hippie, the Camel Filters Man was a Mark Spitz lookalike, always climbing mountains in Nepal or panning for gold with a Farrah Fawcett lookalike and not seeming to hold a day job. At rock concerts, hippies didn't hold up their smart phones, they held up their Bics.

But there was another reason hippies needed their hands free. Hitchhiking. Whenever they were and wherever they wanted to go there was an immediate ride thanks to hitchhiking--and everyone was cool. Hitchhiking was a hippie-era version of Uber except that it was free. Free was good in hippie days because there was no such thing as credit cards, debit cards or ATMs.

Other things hippies carried (besides drugs) could include a transistor radio (no boom boxes, Walkmans, CD players or smart phones yet), a custom pool cue and a can opener called a "church key" since pop tops on canned drinks read beer hadn't been invented yet. Of course the coolest thing that could be carried was a guitar case. Even if it was empty, even if the instrument belonged to someone else, even if the carrier only knew one chord, carrying a guitar conferred instant prestige. An old Mad magazine cartoon showed a child asking a guitar carrier what was in the case and the carrier replied "status."

(Article changed on December 27, 2019 at 17:53)

From Inequality Media

He's maybe the most dangerous politician of my lifetime. He's helped transform the Republican Party into a cult, worshiping at the altar of authoritarianism. His spineless political posturing places party above country, even as foreign governments undermine our democracy.

In pursuit of power, he's damaged our country in ways that may take a generation to undo.

The politician I'm talking about is (Moscow) Mitch McConnell.

He refused for almost a year to allow the Senate to consider President Obama's moderate Supreme Court pick Merrick Garland. When Trump became president, McConnell got rid of the age-old Senate rule requiring 60 senators to agree on a Supreme Court nomination so he could ram through not one but two Supreme Court justices, including one with a likely history of sexual assault.

When Trump became president, McConnell got rid of the age-old Senate rule requiring 60 senators to agree on a Supreme Court nomination so he could ram through not one but two Supreme Court justices, including one with a likely history of sexual assault. He has rammed ultra-conservative, hyperpartisan, unqualified judges through the Senate confirmation process. The Senate has confirmed 187 Trump appointees to lifetime federal judgeships; seven of those confirmed nominees were given a "not qualified" rating by the American Bar Association. A quarter of federal circuit judges are now Trump appointees, shaping the courts for decades to come.

The Senate has confirmed 187 Trump appointees to lifetime federal judgeships; seven of those confirmed nominees were given a "not qualified" rating by the American Bar Association. A quarter of federal circuit judges are now Trump appointees, shaping the courts for decades to come. He has turned the Senate into a "legislative graveyard" by refusing to take up over 300 bills passed by the House. He's blocked bipartisan legislation that would enact universal background checks for gun purchases, lower the cost of prescription drugs, get big money out of politics, provide election security funding, protect voting rights, and on and on. He's gleefully adopted the nickname the "Grim Reaper" in a shameless show of pride for his refusal to pass anything that helps the American people. Under his leadership, what was once known as the world's greatest deliberative body has become a partisan lap dog.

He's blocked bipartisan legislation that would enact universal background checks for gun purchases, lower the cost of prescription drugs, get big money out of politics, provide election security funding, protect voting rights, and on and on. He's gleefully adopted the nickname the "Grim Reaper" in a shameless show of pride for his refusal to pass anything that helps the American people. Under his leadership, what was once known as the world's greatest deliberative body has become a partisan lap dog. He has already violated his oath to be an impartial juror in the upcoming Senate impeachment trial. He openly declared, word-for-word, that he would not be an impartial juror in the trial, proudly saying that he would be "coordinating with the White House counsel" and that "there will be no difference between the president's position and our position." He is not even pretending that the Senate trial will be fair, blatantly violating his oath to "do impartial justice" in order to protect Trump's interests. Imagine the foreman of a jury announcing before a trial that there will be no difference between the jury's position and a defendant's.

We need to ensure that McConnell's legacy is forever one of hypocrisy, inaction, and obstructionism.

By Ateeq Shariff

Dec 31 (Reuters) - Dubai's index ended the year up more than 9%, outperforming other major Gulf markets, while Kuwait led the region with a 32% gain and Oman fell for a third year in a row.

Dubai .DFMGI dropped 0.2% on Tuesday as Dubai Islamic Bank DISB.DU lost 0.7% and Emirates NBD ENBD.DU slipped 0.4%, but it closed 9.3% up over the year, despite slumping real estate prices.

Saudi Arabia .TASI rose 0.5%, bringing its annual gains to 7.2%. Riyad Bank 1010.SE added 2% on Tuesday, while Aramco 2222.SE rose 0.3%, at 35.3 riyals.

Oil giant Aramco commenced trading on Dec. 11 after a long-awaited market listing, surging 10% from the initial public offering price of 32 riyals ($8.53). The increase helped the company close in on the $2 trillion valuation long sought by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Aramco raised $25.6 billion on Dec. 5 through the IPO. The flotation propelled the Riyadh bourse into the world's top ten by value of listed companies.

In mid-September, oil prices surged by as much as 19% before coming off peaks, after an attack on the kingdom that shut 5% of global crude output. The intraday jump was the biggest surge since the 1991 Gulf War.

Kuwait's blue-chip index .BKP advanced 32.4% in 2019, making it the best-performing stock market for the year.

Interest in Kuwait grew following MSCI's decision to move Kuwaiti equities into its main emerging market index in 2020. Vrajesh Bhandari, senior portfolio manager at Al Mal Capital, said they expect the index to be well supported until the move.

Egypt's index .EGX30 increased 7.1% in 2019. On Tuesday, Commercial International Bank COMI.CA edged up 0.2%.

Qatar's index .QSI gained 1% for the year, after the rally last year on account of passive flows as companies raised limits on foreign ownership of their shares.

"It was expected that the market would underperform in 2019 and the flat show is not surprising," said Vrajesh.

On the other hand, Oman's index .MSI had another bad year leaving it down 7.9% for all of 2019, close to 15-year lows.

SAUDI ARABIA

.TASI rose 0.5% to 8,389 points

ABU DHABI

.ADI dropped 0.3% to 5,076 points

DUBAI

.DFMGI down 0.2% to 2,765 points

QATAR

.QSI lost 0.2% to 10,426 points

EGYPT

.EGX30 up 0.2% to 13,962 points

BAHRAIN

.BAX added 0.1% to 1,610 points

OMAN

.MSI gained 0.7% to 3,981 points

KUWAIT

.BKP edged up 0.1% at 6,976 points

($1 = 3.7508 riyals)

(Reporting by Ateeq Shariff in Bengaluru; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

((AteeqUr.Shariff@thomsonreuters.com; +918067497129;))

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

These are the headlines that dominated the cannabis industry in 2019 -- what can we expect in 2020?

January 1, 2020 6 min read

This story originally appeared on MJBizDaily

The U.S. cannabis industry experienced some momentous moves forward on the legalization front in 2019, but it also faced significant obstacles that reflected how the licensed marijuana sector is continuing to mature and why it cannot always expect boom times and unfettered growth.

The top page views of the year at Marijuana Business Daily show the industry’s interest in both sides of the coin. Among the most viewed stories of the year were those that focused on:

The vaping health scare.

Illinois’ historic move as it became the first state in the country to legalize retail sales through its Legislature and the 11th overall to approve adult use.

A key U.S. House committee’s approval of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.

California marijuana business headwinds such as those surrounding the illicit market and ongoing licensing barriers.

What follows is a rundown of MJBizDaily’s top stories of the year, as determined by the number of page views on the U.S. site.

RELATED: 20 Bold Predictions For The Cannabis Industry In 2020

1. Colorado’s Largest Cannabis Grower Loses Millions Of Dollars In Early Freeze: Supply Disruption Expected

Los Sueños Farms, which is based in Pueblo, Colorado -- and is the largest marijuana cultivator in the state -- revealed in October that it lost millions of dollars because of an early winter storm.

The industry braced for ripples throughout the cannabis supply chain in the state, reducing the amount of marijuana available to retailers and processors -- and meaning higher wholesale cannabis prices.

By December, however, Los Sueños’ owner reported the outdoor harvest was still better than 2018, and the company had ample material for the extraction market. The grower estimated it lost roughly $7 million from the freeze.

2. U.S. House Panel Passes Federal Cannabis Legalization Bill In Historic Vote

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 passed a vote by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in November. If adopted into law, the measure could open up huge business opportunities for legal marijuana nationwide, similar to the federal legalization of hemp.

If the MORE Act does pass the full House in the 2020 election year, it still faces the huge obstacle represented by the Republican-controlled Senate.

3. UPS Sues California Cannabis Delivery Companies For Infringing On Trademark

Underlining why putting a moniker on a cannabis business isn’t as easy as it sounds, Atlanta-based United Parcel Service accused a group of California marijuana businesses -- United Pot Smokers, UPS420 and THCPlant -- of using names and logos that are “confusingly similar” to the package-delivery giant’s name and shield logo.

UPS also said the alleged infringement hurts its reputation through association with a marijuana company and further claimed the defendants have a reputation for offering “sham services” under the UPS mark and shield logo.

RELATED: 3 Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From The Vaping Industry

4. Deaths, Illnesses Related To Vaping Cannabis On The Rise, Health Authorities Say

Concerns over marijuana vaping-related fatalities and illnesses began to dominate headlines in earnest in September as U.S. health officials urged people to stop vaping until it was determined why some consumers were coming down with serious breathing illnesses.

Now at the end of 2019, the worst days of the vaping crisis appear to be behind the legal cannabis industry as evidence mounted that products from the illicit market were mainly to blame.

The cannabis industry went on the offensive this year as marijuana businesses pushed to educate consumers about the importance of buying from the legal market.

5. Cannabis Industry Insiders Brace For Potential Fallout As Health Officials Report New Vaping Deaths

As news of the vape health crisis and related deaths spread, some in the cannabis industry expected at least a temporary drop in sales for products such as disposable vape cartridges, and that did come to pass.

The vape crisis hurt business in all recreational cannabis markets in the United States. And while vape sales moved up toward the end of the year in major markets, most have not yet fully recovered to where they were before.

6. 400-Plus California Marijuana Business Licenses Suspended, Injecting Fresh Uncertainty Into State’s Cannabis Industry

In 2020, the legal marijuana business in California is likely to get worse before it gets better. And that’s after an already challenging 2019.

For example, California suspended more than 400 marijuana business permits in November, which affected roughly 5 percent of the state’s legal cannabis supply chain.

Marijuana businesses from retailers to distributors were affected and had to cease all sales until their licenses were reinstated to “active” status.

Later in the month, however, industry observers said California’s licensed marijuana supply chain likely wouldn’t see huge effects from the permit suspensions, because many of the cannabis companies involved weren’t operational or were canceled business ventures.

RELATED: The 10 Biggest Cannabis Stories Of 2019

7. Legal Cannabis Gifts Lead To New Business Practice In Michigan

In January, a legal loophole in Michigan was pointed out that allowed individuals to give away cannabis free of charge. That led to a new business model by some companies in which they sold products such as non-infused candy or art and added a free bit of marijuana as a “gift.”

Some entrepreneurs might have gotten the idea from Washington DC, where recreational cannabis is legal but sales are still prohibited and where gifting popped up as a way to sidestep the sales ban.

8. California Governor To Send National Guard To Combat Illegal Marijuana Growers

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an order in February that redeployed 360 National Guard troops from the U.S.-Mexico border to three other state-specific assignments.

The move was welcomed by the state’s legal marijuana growers, which have long struggled against a thriving illicit market.

9. In Landmark Move, Illinois Lawmakers Approve Adult-Use Cannabis Program That Could Hit $2 Billion In Sales

Illinois made the historic move in May of becoming the first state to legalize adult-use marijuana cultivation and sales through its Legislature.

The announcement was cheered by the cannabis industry as it potentially created of one of the nation’s largest adult-use marijuana markets offering massive business opportunities.

Marijuana Business Daily estimates the Illinois recreational market could eventually hit $2.5 billion a year in sales.

10. Marijuana Wholesale Prices On The Rise In Mature Recreational Markets

As of August, wholesale cannabis prices looked to be going up in the recreational cannabis markets in Colorado, Oregon and Washington state, according to two reports and insights from growers.

The upward price trend seemed related to stronger demand and weaker supply, growers going out of business and some farmers pivoting to hemp.

To stay up to date on the latest marijuana-related news make sure to like Marijuana Business Daily on Facebook

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