Easington controls to be upgraded for North Sea Tolmount gas – Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

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Tolmount gas will be exported to Easington Terminal through a new subsea pipeline.

(Courtesy Servelec Controls)

Offshore staff

ECKINGTON, UK Centrica Storage has contracted Servelec Controls to help prepare the Easington Terminal on Englands Lincolnshire coast to process gas from the Premier/Dana Petroleum-owned Tolmount field in the UK southern North Sea.

Tolmount, due to come onstream late in 2020, is expected to extend the sites lifespan by 10-15 years, Servelec said.

The gas will be exported to Easington Terminal through a new subsea pipeline. Associated modifications at the site include an upgrade and overhaul of the existing functional safety systems.

Servelec was also responsible for installing the existing emergency shutdown and fire and gas systems at the terminal. Both need to be expanded and adapted to alter their functionality, maximize efficiencies and minimize risk, the company added.

The systems integrator is also providing real-time information system services to Premier for the Tolmount project.

01/17/2020

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Easington controls to be upgraded for North Sea Tolmount gas - Offshore Oil and Gas Magazine

GE Chooses Dutch Duo for Neart na Gaoithe Substation Work – Offshore WIND

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GE Renewable Energys Grid Solutions business is collaborating with HSM Offshore BV in the Netherlands and IV-One to deliver the offshore topside platform for the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) wind farm.

In a consortium arrangement, HSM will provide the offshore topside platform designed by IV-One, which will house GEs 220kV and 66kV substations, GE said.

GEs Grid Solutions business is very proud to work with our consortium collaborators to support both shareholders in their growing portfolios of onshore and offshore wind farms as well as to help deliver low carbon electricity generation in the UK, said Gerhard Seyrling, GEs Grid Solutions president & CEO Europe, Russia & CIS.

GE Grid Solutions is in charge of the design, supply, construction, and commissioning of onshore and offshore wind substations for the wind farm located 12 miles off the Fife coast in Scotland.

GE is responsible for the turnkey delivery of all infrastructure within the perimeter, including groundworks and civil construction.

The projects onshore and offshore substation equipment includes four power transformers, four reactors, the static synchronous compensator (STATCOM), power quality components, and gas-insulated switchgearat 66kV, 220kV and 400kVas well as protection and control, SCADA, and telecommunications systems.

The 450MW NnG offshore wind farm project is jointly owned by EDF Renewables and Irelands energy company ESB. The wind farm will comprise 54 Siemens Gamesa 8MW wind turbines expected to be fully operational in 2023.

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GE Chooses Dutch Duo for Neart na Gaoithe Substation Work - Offshore WIND

Lakhanpur toll abolition set to boost construction work – The Tribune

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Tribune News Service

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 14

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is likely to witness a boost in construction activities, as the abolition of toll on goods at Lakhanpur has cut down the prices of cement and steel.

Abolition of toll from Lakhanpur has reduced the prices of all commodities, which were being imported from the other states to Jammu and Kashmir.

But the cement and steel were the main commodities, which would directly affect the pockets of people, especially construction agencies, who were earlier buying it on higher prices.

The price of steel has been slashed by Rs100 per quintal, whereas the price of cement has been slashed by Rs60-65 per bag of 50 kg.

The abolition of toll from Lakhanpur was due since 2017, when GST was implemented in J&K. This has reduced the price of all commodities by minimum Rs1 per kg. But the visible slash is in the prices of steel and cement as the customer always buys it in quintals, said Neeraj Anand, president, Chamber of Traders Federation (CTF).

This abolition of toll has not only slashed the prices of commodities, but it will also boost infrastructural development in the UT and increase the GST revenue of the administration. There was a mafia, which used to evade toll and the entire GST and toll went to the black market. Now, they wont have to evade toll and GST will also add to the revenue of the UT, he said.

Dealers, who used to bring products from outside J&K and sell it here, are also happy, as the abolition of toll not only reduces the prices of commodities, but also saves time as their products get delayed by 2-10 days at Lakhanpur for checking.

It is the biggest sigh of relief for traders of J&K, as it not only saves money, but also saves our time. Sometimes vehicles carrying our products get stuck at Lakhanpur for almost a week, which sometimes damages the products as well, said Ankush Khajuria, a local trader.

The abolition of toll has also reduced the prices of fruits, pulses, rice, spices, cloth, marble and hardware items among others more, which were being imported from other parts of the country.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has abolished the toll on goods at Lakhnpur from January 1, 2020.

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Lakhanpur toll abolition set to boost construction work - The Tribune

The solution to the royal crisis isn’t reform of the monarchy it’s abolition – The National

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THERE is a simple solution to the current controversy regarding the Royal Family, it isn't reform but abolition.This archaic institution shouldhave no place in any modern democratic nation but of course we're talking about the UK, which is anything but modern or democratic.

Fortunatelythe people of Scotland will have a chance to build our own independent nation, one that treats everyone equally and doesn't reserve power and money to an individualfamily.Hopefully the rise of an independent Scotland will coincide with the abolition of the monarchy.

Cllr Kenny MacLarenPaisley

AS I am totally bemused by the medias weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth over Harry and Meghans decision to leave the royal show and allegedly seek work, I checked the front pages of the London press just to get myself au fait with the whole situation.

I was profoundly shocked to see the hapless couple receive a sound spanking, with one editor of a popular tabloid apparently so incensed that the headline lapsed into a form of pidgin English which lost me.

READ MORE:Meghxit has burst the bubble of royal illusion

The Daily Star, which in my opinion is on a par with VIZ only less funny gave us the nuanced, thought-provoking; Naff Orf Harry!

However, I was deeply troubled by one headline which described the Royal Shows matriarch, known as Liz, as furious. Not good in a nonagenarian.

My reading concluded, I was left in no doubt that this whole business, which in my circle is the sole topic of conversation at the moment, is a CRISIS, possibly the biggest since Prince Charles was made to pay tax on the profits from his nice little earner The Duchy of Cornwall.

And so to bed, although I know I wont sleep a wink due to worry and a foreboding that this latest royal soap opera will run for some time.

Malcolm CordellBroughty Ferry, Dundee

ITsurprised me to find out that Megan was the countess of Dumbarton. Last time I was there it seemed there were more off-licences than open shops and now no doubt more food banks.

It was obviously a place that had served its purpose and been dumped and forgotten about, the people given no opportunities, no hope. It was seriously heartbreaking to see the young kids on the street corners with obvious injecting drug issues, like in so many of our communities: our kids, our country's future, wasted by an environment and ideologyof neglect.

You could see the community had no hope, no future and have been forgotten about.Meghan's title may be dropped. It seems it too has served its purpose and so is to be dumped and forgotten about, just like the town itself.

Crsdean Mac FhearghaisDn ideann

READ MORE:What Harry and Meghans news tells us about modern Britain

I WAS amused at the correspondence regarding the correct use of titles egthe Earl and Countess of Dumbarton. It is about time this silly nonsense was abolished. I would suggest that, in this age of unusual first names, parents could give their child names such as Duke, Countess, Marquis etc but also give the second name "of". Once the child reached adulthood, he/she could change their surname by deed poll to a town or village of their choice. If this procedure was widely adopted, eventually all places in Scotland would be covered, eg Duke of Pumpherston.

Perhaps other readers could suggest more exotic examples. The National may even wish to organise an annual competition to find the best suggestion.

N M ShawEdinburgh

THE Windsor crisis has a new weathervane by which one can figure out what is happening or likely to happen, namely, the dogs! It seems the media has sussedout that the dogs belonging to Harry and Meghan remained in Canada after their Christmas break.

This has caused apoplexy among ceryain paparazzi and no doubt the royalist fan club as it is a sign that Harry and Meghan will with all certainty be going to Canada to stay.

Amid the serious issues facing Europe(and the UK remains part of the European continent after Brexit)and beyond, the minor spat in the Windsor household is becoming a sideshow of increasingly comic proportions. The Windsor-watchers will be scanning the horizon to see if the dogs return, and no doubt a special BBC correspondent will now be appointed as the corporations overall royal canine consultant to pinpoint the whereabouts of the royal canines and interpret any changes in location.

READ MORE:The media obsession with Meghan Markle is yet another distraction

Harry and Meghan have blown apart the mystique behind the duty and duties of the royal family, which neither complains nor explains. This self-imposed duty has become the modern, secular equivalent of the mediaeval "royal touch"which was believed to be a cure for ailments and sickness.

As crisis meetings are being held at Sandringham to try to resolve the situation, it is really too late to save the day. The symbolism of the decision of Harry and Meghan to announce they are stepping back from the "show"is overwhelming. The rotational treadmill of duties to perform and managing press releases to keep sections of the populace informed of your "importance"and to maintain the mystiquemust take its toll on ones sanity. The downside is that the press is constantly littered with supposed comments from friends and insiders and courtiers about internal feuds bordering on character mutual assassination, as we can see who is now made out to be the "baddy"in this present spat.

There are major issues affecting the future of the nations of the UK at present. Let us keep the monarchical crisis in perspective.

It does not affect ones daily life and personal wellbeing if there are fewer royals cut ribbons or have their name on brass plates or even have to wonder about the location of the dogs! Who left the dogs behind in Canada and what does it mean?

John EdgarKilmaurs

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The solution to the royal crisis isn't reform of the monarchy it's abolition - The National

What to See Right Now in New York Art Galleries – The New York Times

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Nicky Nodjoumi

Through Jan. 19. Helena Anrather, 28 Elizabeth Street, Manhattan; 212-587-9674, helenaanrather.com.

In 1974, the Iranian-American artist Nicky Nodjoumi took his City College M.F.A. back to Tehran, where his politically charged painting quickly antagonized first the Shahs secret police and then Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis Revolutionary Guards. In 1981, he was given a major show at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, but it was closed after a single day, and he hurried back to New York, which has been his home ever since.

For a few years in the late 90s, Mr. Nodjoumi made a daily practice of painting or drawing on a shellacked front page of The New York Times. He made portraits of his family; Picasso-like figures with latticework faces; explicit sexual scenes that are both funny and tender; and clearly political but nonspecific images, like a dense black silhouette of a man playing with a bloody-red cats cradle.

One appeal of a serial project like this, over and above the often wonderful drawing, is how it seems to encompass the endless days and scenes of the world at large even as it reduces them to a comprehensible number. I can count 60 spreads in Mr. Nodjoumis current show, New York Times Sketchbooks (1996-1999), at Helena Anrather; note that these include one Metro section cover and one interior spread painted early on, before he committed to front pages, as well as one flower for the day Princess Diana died; and feel as if Ive really gotten to grips with something. Still more appealing, though, is the sense of fleet-footed possibility that the work transmits when hung en masse: If todays nefarious silhouette can turn into tomorrows couple in flagrante or the next days bear on stilts, anything might be around the corner for all of us.

WILL HEINRICH

Through Jan. 25. Nahmad Contemporary, 980 Madison Avenue, Manhattan, 646 449 9118, nahmadcontemporary.com.

The last five months have brought two solo shows of early work by the restless German painter Albert Oehlen that were previously unseen in New York. In September, 12 paintings from the artists 1989-90 Fn (Footnote) series went on view at Skarstedt, full of improvisatory abstract brushwork in off-key colors infiltrated by fragments of images from popular culture. These sardonic mash-ups of Pop Art, Surrealism and Neo-Expressionism exemplify the ugly gorgeousness that is something of an Oehlen signature.

Now Nahmad is showing 13 canvases from Mr. Oehlens Spiegelbilder or Mirror Paintings series, which began in 1982, around the time of the artists solo shows, and extended to 1990. They are dark, dour, loosely painted interiors, consistent with his early interest in representation. Some, with titles like Abolition of a Military Dictatorship, Oven I, and Hell, I or featuring depictions of bunkerlike cinder block structures conjure the Nazi period. But all the scenes whether the grand but decrepit spiral stair in Staircase Old, or the untitled image of a slovenly library devoid of furniture suggest messy aftermaths. Of course Mr. Oehlens impatient brushwork contributes to the desultory mood. Countering it are a few random mirrors affixed to the surface of each canvas. These irreverently disrupt the painted images with blank patches or glimpses of reality, depending upon where you stand, at once punching holes in the mediums spatial integrity and also implicating us in historys devastations. Ugliness has the louder voice in these works, flanked by tragedy on one side and on the other by the engaging intentional lightness of Mr. Oehlens pictorial sensibility.

ROBERTA SMITH

Through Jan. 25. Denny Dimin Gallery, 39 Lispenard Street, Manhattan; 212-226-6537, dennydimingallery.com.

Since the late 1990s, Clarity Haynes has been painting portraits of peoples breasts. They arent descended from the sexy and sexist classical nudes of art history, nor do they have the fleshy weight of the paintings of more contemporary artists like Lucian Freud or Jenny Saville. Instead, in The Breast Portrait Project, Ms. Haynes who works from life over a series of sessions with her sitters that can take years depicts the torsos of women, trans, and gender-nonconforming people in remarkable, caring detail. She relishes the tattoos, wrinkles, scars, veins and folds that our dominant society may deem unsightly.

In her current show, Altar-ed Bodies, which was curated by Benjamin Tischer, co-founder of the recently closed Invisible-Exports gallery, several of Ms. Hayness breast portraits share space with new paintings of her own altars, which the news release calls self-portraits of sorts. The altar pieces lack something of the same magnetic force of their counterparts, but the combination of the series is fruitful. In Genesis (2009), the pioneering body artist Genesis Breyer P-Orridge wears a necklace whose charms echo the hanging pendants and small totems in Rainbow Altar (Spring into Summer), from 2019, while one of her tattoos mirrors the placement of a dangling pink ribbon. Such parallels charge us to treat bodies as sacred, like altars. Rather than sources of worry or shame, they should be sites of empowerment and worship.

JILLIAN STEINHAUER

Through Jan. 25 at Tina Kim Gallery, 525 West 21st Street, Manhattan, 212-716-1100, tinakimgallery.com.

We are playing historical catch-up at the moment, driven partly by the art markets incessant quest for fresh products, but also by a widespread desire to create a more global narrative of art in the 20th century. A good candidate for this is Kim Tschang-Yeul, a Korean-born artist who, along with Park Seo Bo and Lee Ufan, helped introduce Western modernism to Korea and whose terrific paintings from the 1960s and 70s are currently on view in the exhibition New York to Paris at Tina Kim.

Mr. Kim studied art in South Korea and was part of the Korean Informel, a movement that originated in France and favored vigorous, expressive abstraction. Living in Paris and New York, however, Mr. Kim produced work that evolved into what you see here: a radiant, abstract brand of Pop Art, with concentric forms rendered in an unusual mix of acrylic and cellulose lacquer on burlap or canvas. Some of the paintings, like the Composition series from 1969 and 1970, have centers that look almost photo-realistic. This propensity was pushed even further in canvases from the mid-70s and one here, from 1980, which have naturalistic droplets of water painted against a monochromatic ground that look so real they might seep off the canvas.

My favorites are the Compositions, though, which look like psychedelic vortexes rimmed with neon or spectral rainbows. They feel very contemporary, partly because were in a moment of historical remix and revival that benefits lesser-known strains of art history: Mr. Kims work looks as if it were painted today, rather than 40 years ago.

MARTHA SCHWENDENER

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What to See Right Now in New York Art Galleries - The New York Times

Are the Tories about to abolish A&E targets? – The Guardian

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What is the four-hour target?

In 2004 the Labour government required hospitals in England to treat and then discharge, admit or transfer 98% of all patients within four hours of their arrival at an A&E unit. The coalition government cut that to 95% in 2010.

2004 was the first time the NHS had ever come under such a target. Before that patients could, and in some cases did, spend many hours sometimes days waiting for emergency care.

It forced hospitals to prioritise the care provided at their emergency departments and ensure that as few people as possible waited beyond four hours. Publication of each NHS trusts performance figures every month meant none wanted to be named and shamed for missing the target.

As a result, A&Es have got more staff and more resources, reflecting their central importance in hospitals. The four-hour standard is the best-known of the NHSs batch of waiting-time targets. Others cover planned treatment in hospital, cancer care and some forms of mental health treatment.

A&E doctors were initially sceptical or opposed to the target. Some still complain that its existence gives people an incentive to go to A&E because its the one place in the NHS where the lights are always on instead of waiting days or even weeks to see a GP, and this has contributed to emergency departments becoming increasingly overwhelmed in recent years.

A supposed maximum wait of four hours has encouraged some people to use A&E as an anything and everything service, for often minor ailments, rather than just accidents and emergencies, they say. However, A&E specialists accept that it has improved care by ensuring that as far as possible patients with potentially serious illnesses are seen fairly quickly.

NHS England has been looking into replacing the four-hour wait since 2018. It claims that a more clinically appropriate way of measuring A&E performance may well be needed.

As Matt Hancock said on Wednesday: We will be judged by the right targets. Targets have to be clinically appropriate.

But many doctors and NHS experts believe the target may be scrapped simply because of the bad headlines that the increasing inability to deliver it generates every month when the latest performance figures appear.

Last month, for example, some trusts dealt with less than 50% of patients within four hours. Overall, hospital A&Es managed to deal with just 68.6% against the 95% target, which has been missed every month since July 2015.

Because it has succeeded in its original aim, of ensuring that no one has to wait an unreasonably long time which could damage their health. It has played a crucial part in driving improvements in waiting times for patients, said Prof Donal ODonoghue of the Royal College of Physicians.

Also, the public appear to like the fact that they can access urgent and emergency care quickly. If the target disappears there may be a backlash.

Making less sick patients wait longer than four hours while more serious cases get priority which would happen if NHS England did replace the target wait could involve risk, as some of those may also have a more serious condition, such as a heart problem.

NHS Englands review group under Prof Stephen Powis, which is looking at waiting times, is continuing its work. Its recommendations will be influenced by the evidence from the 14 NHS trusts that are trialling an alternative to the four-hour guarantee.

The strong opposition from senior doctors may makes wholesale abolition of the four-hour target harder to do, given that both NHS leaders and Hancock have said that any alternative has to have the support of clinicians.

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Are the Tories about to abolish A&E targets? - The Guardian

Fr. Abolition of the post of Jay Fostner from St. Norbert College, organizational changes cited – Techno EA

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DE PERE, Wisconsin (WFRV) Br. Jay Fostners position at St. Norbert College has been cut, according to a letter sent to staff and faculty by President Brian Bruess.

In the letter, Bruess cites an organizational update as the reason for eliminating p. Jays role as vice president for mission and student affairs. He has held this position for the past nine years.

I would like to recognize the father. Jay for his 21 years of college service, said Bruess in the letter. Under his leadership, the College noted many improvements by integrating the mission into our facilities thanks to art, spaces for reflection and expressions of Norbertine heritage; improvements to the Center for Norbertine Studies, the Norman Miller Center for Peace, Justice and Public Understanding and the Sturzl Center for Community Service and Learning; re-articulations of our mission statement; integration of mission and heritage into the Colleges hiring practices; the growth of many student affairs departments; and dramatic improvements to our residences.

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Bruess explains that an essential part of our planning efforts is the work of aligning our organizational structure with our objectives and strategies, work that has been underway for over a year.

The college will soon begin to look for a vice-president of student affairs / dean of student engagement.

This new position would include monitoring student affairs, student retention, equity and inclusion.

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Fr. Abolition of the post of Jay Fostner from St. Norbert College, organizational changes cited - Techno EA

Labour shadow minister backs axeing fees and blasts free market – Times Higher Education (THE)

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Labour should continue to support abolishing tuition fees in England, while the free market sector approach of the Conservatives has hammered universities that provide places for local disadvantaged students, according to the partys new shadow higher education minister.

Emma Hardy, MP for Hull West and Hessle, spoke to Times Higher Education after replacing Gordon Marsden, who lost his Blackpool South seat at the general election.

The former Hull primary school teacher and graduate of the universities of Liverpool and Leeds said one of her key priorities would be university funding. The Conservative government is yet to make a formal response to the Augar review, which called for the fee cap to be lowered from 9,250 to 7,500, with the Treasury replacing the lost fee income.

If the cap is lowered, my worry is they [ministers] are going to ask universities themselves to find that additional money, said Ms Hardy, a former member of the Commons Education Committee.

The abolition of tuition fees and the reintroduction of maintenance grants was a signature Labour policy under outgoing leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Should that still be the policy under a new leader? Iwould argue that it needs to be, said Ms Hardy. The current system in which the poorest students borrow the largest sums was unfair and that system doesnt work, while the decline in part-time and mature student numbers under higher fees was a huge concern, she argued.

Ms Hardy put Labours proposed National Education Service and its policy to abolish fees in the context of the need to face up to the fourth industrial revolution and offer lifelong education.

She added: Ithink we do need to look at investing in what should be our greatest resource, which is the skills and the talents of the people in this countryWere not a great manufacturing country any more. Look at the industries that are creating the wealth, [for example] the creative industries. How can we get people developed in those areas, give them the skills they need?

Ms Hardy also highlighted the effect of the abolition of student number controls in 2015, which opened up unconstrained competition.

Institutions such as the University of Hull that recruit large numbers of local students have been hammered, and the policy has really reduced their funding, added Ms Hardy, the daughter of teachers who was brought up on Humberside. We cant lose universities like Hull because of the service they offer to their local area.

In abolishing number controls, the Conservatives wanted the most prestigious, and most selective, universities to expand. But the government didnt think about the fact that children from more deprived backgrounds are less likely to move away to go to university, said Ms Hardy.

They are more likely to attend university on their doorstep. You hammer universities like Hull, you are hitting that demographic of students.

She added: Putting the free market into education is something Idont really agree with.

The partys previously announced proposal to replace the practice of using predicted grades to place university candidates which works against poorer students with a post-qualification application system would be so much fairer, Ms Hardy also said. As someone from what Iwould call an average background, Iwas underpredicted on my results right across the boardYour place should be based on the results that you get.

john.morgan@timeshighereducation.com

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Labour shadow minister backs axeing fees and blasts free market - Times Higher Education (THE)

New reports of illegal espionage of journalists in Colombia reignite fears – Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

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Illegal espionage of journalists and other public personalities, including magistrates and politicians, seems to have another chapter in Colombia after a scandal over this same issue almost a decade ago ended in the abolition of the country's intelligence department.

The new complaint was published by Semana magazine, which in its investigation found that the departure of the commander of the Colombian Army on Dec. 27, 2019 was related to allegations of illegal espionage.

According to the investigation, some Army intelligence groups used mobile units and state-of-the-art equipment to find out what some journalists, politicians, magistrates, and even colonels, generals and commanders of other forces are doing.

Some of the victims of this espionage allegedly were journalists of Semana magazine itself and their sources apparently in retaliation for their previous investigations that reported alleged irregularities in the armed forces.

According to the investigation, during 2019, the Army illegally monitored Semana with different means such as parking a vehicle near the office with equipment capable of intercepting phone calls and text messages. Agents also allegedly followed some journalists including the magazine's director, Alejandro Santos.

One of Semanas sources told it that the Army offered him more than US $15,000 to introduce malware into teams of journalists of Semana, according to the magazine. Also as part of a campaign of intimidation, a tombstone was sent to a journalist in the newsroom.

According to one of the military members who served as a source to Semana, the 'chuzadas' as these illegal interceptions are known in Colombia were allegedly made from two military garrisons to protect them and avoid a surprise search by the justice or the snooping of the media, according to Semana.

The novelty of using military garrisons allegedly was a lesson learned after the so-called Andromedia Operation, exposed in 2014 and through which the communications of the peace process negotiators with the FARC guerrillas were intercepted, according to the same source. On that occasion the agents used a restaurant as a facade, a headquarters that was later raided by the Prosecutor's Office.

In response to the allegations, the Ministry of Defense issued a statement announcing the immediate commencement, by instruction of the president of the country Ivn Duque, of an internal investigation and called on the other corresponding authorities to also initiate investigations into the case.

This department reiterates the commitment of President Ivn Duque and the National Government of zero tolerance with any action by members of the Public Forces that is contrary to the Constitution, the Law, human rights and International Humanitarian Law, the statement said. If the participation of members of the Public Forces is proven in events that are not in accordance with the Law, those responsible must respond individually to Colombian justice.

Different national and international freedom of expression organizations voiced their rejection of the alleged espionage cases and asked for guarantees to carry out journalistic work in the country.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged authorities to conduct a transparent and thorough investigation.

As if journalists in Colombia did not already face enough danger from other armed actors, it is clear that the military poses a serious threat to reporters and their sources, CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwic, according to a press release. Colombian authorities must thoroughly investigate the armys alleged illegal spying operation and ensure that its architects face justice.

Through his Twitter account, Edison Lanza, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), also asked for an investigation into the complaint.

There are state agents that do not assume that espionage and illegal digital surveillance violate fundamental freedoms. My solidarity with journalists and media of #Colombia that allegedly were spied on by the military sector. It is essential to investigate and punish, Lanza wrote.

Although the authorities have repeatedly denied surveillance actions against journalists, reality has shown, with sufficient evidence, that this form of aggression is constant, Colombias Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) wrote in a statement.

These actions, in violation of the Constitution and the criminal law, endanger and affect the rights of journalists and jeopardize the free exercise of journalism, FLIP added.

The organization said that in the last two years "the situation of risk against journalists has increased exponentially." "In this context of escalation of threats it is especially dramatic that the Army would again be the institution that is involved in intimidation, threats and interceptions of journalists," the organization said.

Almost a decade ago, Semana magazine unveiled one of the biggest scandals of illegal espionage in the country in which the country's intelligence agency was involved.

At that time, the magazine reported that the Department of Administrative Security (DAS), as it was known, was spying on journalists, politicians, human rights defenders and magistrates, among others. The DAS was abolished as a result of the scandal and some of its executives and officials are facing justice.

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New reports of illegal espionage of journalists in Colombia reignite fears - Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

5 reasons to watch Kholop, the highest grossing comedy in Russian movie history – Russia Beyond

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Klim Shipenko/Yellow, Black & White, 2019

Klim Shipenkos movie released for the New Year holidays took 2,317 billion rubles ($38 million) at the Russian box office, outstripping the previous recordholder, James Camerons Avatar. We explain why you need to watch this movie right now.

Grisha, the main character, does not work, spends his fathers money in expensive clubs, and has no respect for people at all. He thinks nothing of insulting a woman or maiming a policeman. After yet another all-night party, he gets into an accident and loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he discovers that his suit, money, and smartphone have mysteriously disappeared, and everyone around insists that its 1860 (one year before the abolition of serfdom in Russia), and that far from being the son of a rich father, Grisha is an ordinary stableboy.

Kholop (Serf)might appear on the surface to be a standard time-travel comedy, but things arent that straightforward. Grisha is in fact an unwilling participant in a psychological experiment, in which he is monitored by numerous cameras. His father hires a team of actors and, together with a crackpot psychologist, turns his hotshot son into an ordinary serf to teach him how to treat people properly, value life, and believe in love. Dont worry, thats not a spoiler, rather the official movie tagline. The truly unexpected plot twists are there to see for yourself.

A haystack instead of a bed, rags instead of a fashionable suit, and leaves instead of toilet paper Grisha has to get used to all this and more.Kholoptells about the hardships of the life of a Russian peasant in all its inglorious glory. Any misdemeanor can result in a whipping, while insolence can lead to a public execution on the main square.

Kholopis a direct commentary on the difficult conditions in which actors work. The film openly states that many ordinary actors (not pampered stars) are forced to work with idiotic scripts with no chance to improvise, and are kept on set for days on end just to deliver a couple of lines. An actor can prepare for a role for months, only to be replaced at the last minute by some upstart with no acting training.

What's more, actors have no privacy at all, and having a fling with a colleague on set is a sackable offense.

If you have an influential father, even if you kill someone youll walk away scot-free. If you want fame, you can just go on a Russian talk show and slander a rich person (less rich than your father, at least) the host wont do anything to silence you. And if human rights are violated, the police wont lift a finger until it turns into a public outcry.

The film is not only about turning a rich kid into a human being, but pokes fun at the environment that made him such a spoiled brat in the first place.

The main character adjusts to his new life as a serf surprisingly quickly. Grisha invokes his right to freedom only at the end of the movie, when his sweetheart is in jeopardy. The rest of the time he suffers humiliation and deceit, and does not even attempt to stand up for his rights.

Ultimately, the films message is that everyone has the right to freedom, whether you are the son of an oligarch or an ordinary worker.

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5 reasons to watch Kholop, the highest grossing comedy in Russian movie history - Russia Beyond

Ambiga: Release one chapter of IRC report and if govt still standing, why not release the rest? – Malay Mail

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Former Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan speaks during a forum in Kuala Lumpur January 18, 2020. Picture by Hari Anggara

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 Lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said the government should do a pilot project by releasing just one recommendation by the Institutional Reform Committee (IRC), of which the report is still not made public until now.

She said that if the government still does not fall after the partial release, and it should have nothing to worry about and therefore can make public the rest of the document that was in storage since July 2018.

I think they can do a pilot [project], release one set of recommendations [by IRC] and see whether the government falls down the next day. If it does, then okay dont release the report, she said, laughing at a forum titled IRC Report. Why the secrecy? organised by the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) today.

In October last year, prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the confidential report by the IRC and its seven recommendations that have been passed to the quasi-official Council of Eminent Persons can only be made public once all Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties agree to it.

Dr Mahathir said he alone does not have the authority to do so despite being prime minister, in reply to lawyer and former IRC member Ambiga during the regional LawAsia Constitutional and Rule of Law Conference 2019.

Ambiga said she does not know the real reason why PH did not want it to be released but she would charitably assume that it is because of public and voters perception towards the already much-criticised administration.

Perhaps one, they dont want the public expectations to be raised and then if they don't deliver, it's a reflection on them. That's a possibility.

The other one is they don't want any negativity and cold water being poured on any of the suggestions. Perhaps, now that's a very charitable way of looking at their reasons for not releasing [the IRC report], she said.

As part of the team, Ambiga said by withholding the report, the government has denied the public and their own supporters the opportunity to be involved in making the country a better place, something that was promised by PH when they rolled out their election manifesto before 2018 election.

But you know what, if it is just the chapters that affect them, that's fine too, but I don't even know who has received this report and my concern is, if we don't know then that means there is duplication of work, because there is reform measures taking place.

So for me, why did we go through that exercise, and you know something, if only they had seen how engaged the public was. Then they will understand how much goodwill of the people they had. People just came and did the work with no payment, no nothing, she said.

The IRC finalised their report in June 2018, with seven recommendations for revamping the structure of judiciary appointments; limiting the concentration of executive power on a single individual; abolition of oppressive legislation, namely the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012; reform in enforcement and government agencies; parliamentary reforms; and vetting processes for key public appointments with the aim of achieving a corruption-free society.

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Ambiga: Release one chapter of IRC report and if govt still standing, why not release the rest? - Malay Mail

How will Brexit affect your rights at work? | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens | Business – The Comet

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PUBLISHED: 13:38 13 January 2020 | UPDATED: 13:43 13 January 2020

Lauren Knight

After January 1, 2021, laws around worker rights will change. Picture: Getty Images

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With information provided by Fosters Legal Solicitors we've compiled this need-to-know guide to help you understand what leaving the EU could mean for you and your family and where you can find the right legal advice to help.

What does Brexit mean for EU citizens?

On June 23, 2016 the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU) during what became known as the 'Brexit' referendum.

Following the results of the December 2019 General Election that saw Boris Johnson return to 10 Downing Street with a majority vote, plans to implement Brexit will be put into motion in January 2020.

For Swiss and EU citizens, or those from countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) that haven't secured their UK immigration status by the end of the implementation period on December 31, 2020, this could mean they will no longer be allowed to remain in the United Kingdom.

How can you secure your UK immigration status?

If you're an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you and your family can apply for the EU Settlement Scheme to continue living and working in the UK. The scheme can help you secure your immigration status. To be eligible you'll need to apply before December 31, 2020."

When can you apply?

You can apply for the EU Settlement scheme now. The deadline for applying is June 2021.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, you'll need to be living in the UK before it leaves in order to apply. The deadline, in this case, is December 31, 2020.

How will leaving the EU effect your rights as a worker?

After January 1, 2021, the government will implement a new single immigration system that will change the laws surrounding worker's rights.

By then your UK immigration status will need to be secured and you'll need to register under the new skills-based immigration system to stay and work in the UK.

What is the future skills-based immigration system?

It's a new single immigration system, designed around an individual's skills and talents, that will apply to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members that arrive in the UK on or after January 1, 2021.

The new system includes:

- A skilled workers route open to all nationalities

- Lowering the skills threshold on the skilled worker route to include medium-skilled workers

- No cap on numbers on the skilled worker route, meaning that business will be able to hire any suitably qualified migrant

- The abolition of the resident labour market test

- A new time-limited route for temporary short-term workers of all skill levels, including seasonal low-skilled workers

- An extension to the post-study period for international students

How can Fosters Legal Solicitors help?

Seeking legal help from an expert from the start can help you understand your rights and what action you need to take to protect you and your family.

Fosters Legal Solicitors is a multi-award-winning law firm which focuses on all aspects of immigration law. The team offer advice and support about your rights and securing your immigration status.

If you're an employer, they can advise you on how to secure the UK immigration status of your EU, EEA and Swiss employees and their family members and help protect your skilled workforce.

Call 01438 318 452 or email office@fosterslegal.co.uk to find out how they can help you. Visit fosterslegal.co.uk/immigration-law for more information and to see the other services they can help you with.

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How will Brexit affect your rights at work? | EU, EEA and Swiss citizens | Business - The Comet

Non-violent protesters are not terrorists and its time the police accepted that – The Guardian

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Priti Patel probably thought she was helping when she tried to defend counter-terrorism police from the condemnation that followed last weeks story in the Guardian revealing the inclusion of Extinction Rebellion (XR) in a guide on supposed extreme or violent ideologies.

The document has apparently now been withdrawn. Nevertheless, the home secretarys insistence that the police always make decisions based on the risk to the public, security risks, security threats does inevitably lead to an obvious, unanswered question. If she is right, how exactly did Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), which wrote and published the guide, manage to make what even it admits was a significant error of judgment?

The answer lies in how alleged risks posed by protest groups are assessed. To begin with, it may surprise many that there is no legal definition of what domestic extremism even means, leaving the police with complete discretion in deciding what it covers. Extremism and domestic extremism are used interchangeably by the police to differentiate from terrorism. The current criteria is so broad and ambiguous that David Anderson, a former independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, has described it as manifestly deficient and last summer, the Home Office finally confirmed it had stopped using such terms. The police, as we have seen, have not.

In practice, decisions about who is labelled an extremist are made in secret by police units concerned more about their ideas of security and defending public order than about human rights and by officers who are often deeply antagonistic towards protesters challenging the corporate and political orthodoxies of the day.

The full extent of such hostility was set out in a Policy Exchange report on XR co-authored last year by Richard Walton, the former head of the Metropolitan polices counter-terrorism command. Walton claimed, extraordinarily, that what he saw as the underlying extremism of the campaign had been largely obscured from public view by what many see as the fundamental legitimacy of their stated cause.

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that assessments of alleged risk are never neutral. Invariably, as the CTPSE guide claimed, just having an anti-establishment philosophy, taking part in entirely non-violent direct action and even participation in planned school walkouts is enough for the police to classify individual campaigners as a threat.

In turn, this classification provides police with the justification for intensive surveillance, which can be extremely intrusive and intimidating.

XR is far from the first environmental campaign to receive this kind of police attention. More than a decade ago the anti-aviation group Plane Stupid was targeted and it is nine years since Mark Kennedy was exposed as an undercover police officer who infiltrated annual climate camp gatherings.

However, the most recent targets have been opponents of fracking, with sustained surveillance from regional counter-terrorism units. Netpol, the organisation I run to monitor public order, protest and street policing, has documented the experiences of the anti-fracking movement for five years and these provide an important reminder of why no matter what promises are made now, there are no guarantees the police will stop categorising XR as extremists in the future.

In December 2016, negative media coverage forced the Home Office to declare that support for anti-fracking is not an indicator of vulnerability to extremism. This followed reports about City of York council and a school in North Yorkshire including anti-fracking campaigns in their Prevent counter-terrorism advice. However, months later, leaked counter-terrorism local profiles again the work of the regional police unit in the south-east of England identified protests in Sussex as a priority theme ... where increased tensions or vulnerabilities may exist.

As recently as October 2019, there was evidence of Surrey county council claiming local police had advised it that anti-fracking activities were among their main extremist areas of concern (alongside the far right) and that any protest, no matter how peaceful, was extremist.

It is clear that once the current controversy dies down, it will be only a matter of time before XR and other climate activists are again labelled as an extremist risk. The group has indicated it may bring legal action to have its name removed from any list but perhaps XR would be better served by putting its weight behind the call for the complete abolition of the domestic extremist label for everyone.

To protect freedom to protest, the government also needs to completely separate secretive counter-terrorism units from the policing of non-violent protests. They have no business involving themselves in legitimate political activity.

Until this happens, it seems unlikely anyone will ever be held to account for errors of judgment, no matter how potentially damaging the consequences are for those labelled a safeguarding risk. Officers will simply carry on, as they have for decades, trying to find imagined threats in any new and emerging protest movement and then spying on and disrupting their campaigns. Its time this finally stopped for good.

Kevin Blowe is coordinator of the Network for Police Monitoring

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Non-violent protesters are not terrorists and its time the police accepted that - The Guardian

The Guardian view on electoral reform: an argument Labour needs to have – The Guardian

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A month after one of the heaviest defeats in its history, the Labour party is on its way to electing a new leader. Clive Lewis and Emily Thornberry have until Monday afternoon to win the support they need from MPs to join Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips in the contests second stage. This involves nominations from constituency parties, unions and affiliates, with members and supporters making the final selection and the winner due to be announced at a special conference in April.

Questions about the future of Corbynism are at the forefront, with the socialist ticket of Ms Long-Bailey and Angela Rayner, who wants to be deputy, facing a strong soft-left challenge from Mr Starmer. How the party develops its policies following Decembers drubbing is hugely important, and not just for Labour. Given the new governments programme and Boris Johnsons character, individual credibility is a key factor: Labour knows it needs a leader who can hold the Conservatives to account. Geography and identity are crucial themes, with no easy answers to the problems thrown up by the growing divide between cities and towns, young and old, England and Scotland. Nor can the characteristics and backgrounds of the candidates be set aside. Unlike the other main UK parties, Labour has never elected a female leader.

The political landscape of the next few years is fraught with risk including the rise of a far-right party pushing a narrative of betrayal if Brexit turns out to be a disappointment. Under relentless pressure from the news cycle, it is not hard to see why many in Labour are anxious to see the party pull itself together quickly, and put on a brave face for the struggles ahead. But it is essential that the process of reflection about what went wrong under Corbyn is not short-circuited and that ideas proposed by each of the candidates are explored.

So far, Mr Lewis has done more than the other candidates to advance an analysis of Labours problems that goes beyond weaknesses of the manifesto, the leadership and Brexit to address the UKs political system as a whole. On Sunday he launched a manifesto that included proposals for the democratisation of the BBC and a new body to represent women and girls, as well as plans for devolution, the abolition of the House of Lords and introduction of a proportional voting system (the latter is also supported by Ms Phillips, with the other candidates so far undecided).

A diverse field of candidates and ideas is important, which is why we hope that both Mr Lewis and Ms Thornberry will make it to the next round. In the past, hostility to electoral reform has come from the right and left of the party. Even now, it is unlikely to be the first priority of an opposition facing so many challenges. Nor is it the only policy area in which intellectual work, as well as the community organising that several leadership contenders have described as a priority, is needed. But the problems with first past the post, including the way it perpetuates a Labour-Tory duopoly, shuts out smaller parties and rewards nationalist ones (because votes piled up in one area are easier to convert into seats than those that are thinly spread) can no longer be ignored.

Further constitutional change is inescapable, with plans for devolution to the English regions promised by the Conservatives. Whichever candidates make it through on Monday, Labours leadership contest must entail serious discussion of how to shore up Britains democratic institutions, and strengthen local decision-making, in an increasingly dangerous world.

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The Guardian view on electoral reform: an argument Labour needs to have - The Guardian

Retired nurse from Newton Aycliffe had to keep milk fresh in a bucket of water – The Northern Echo

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A RETIRED nurse who had to choose between paying her bills and food is calling for change following research showing 4.8 million people in the UK are too poor to afford essential home appliances.

Sheena Stephenson came to live in Newton Aycliffe in 2012 after she lost her rented bungalow in Newcastle following the loss of her job at the Childrens Heart Unit at Freeman Hospital.

The 63-year-old was unable to work due to her crippling back pain caused by a slipped disc.

At the time, she was also forced to file for bankruptcy after lending money to a family member who did not pay her back.

Ms Stephenson said: I was devastated when I came to Newton Aycliffe all I had was a freezer, sofa and a bed. I went from being a paediatric nurse for 30 years to having to keep milk and food in a bucket of cold water which had to be changed twice a day. I even had to go to bed at 3pm in the afternoon to keep warm.

Ms Stephenson was in dire straits until she was told about the Turn2us charity which provides information and support about welfare benefits and charitable grants.

Through the charity Ms Stephenson received a washing machine, carpets, a cooker, blinds and a new bed.

She believes the changes to welfare policy since 2010 have significantly affected appliance poverty.

The newly released research highlights the single biggest erosion of help came in 2013 with the abolition of the Social Fund which previously provided much-needed support.

Turn2us is therefore campaigning for a new local welfare assistance scheme to be developed and introduced as well as seeking funds to help change lives.

Ms Stephenson said she would encourage families struggling to get in touch with Turn2us as she fears for other people living in her situation following the recent election, she said: Those in Government after the re-election probably couldn't even tell you the cost of a pint of milk or a loaf of bread. They need see how people on benefits really live.

"When people move in to rented accommodation the housing associations and councils should leave the appliances left by previous tenants as some people have nothing and I think in the future a lot more families will struggle."

For more information about the charity visit turn2us.org.uk

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Retired nurse from Newton Aycliffe had to keep milk fresh in a bucket of water - The Northern Echo

No condition can will not apply CAA, performing this unconstitutional: Kapil Sibal – Sahiwal Tv

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Congress leader and Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal has actually stated that no condition can will not apply the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was passed away by Parliament. It is unconstitutional to will not implement it.

At the Kerala Literator Festival, Kapil Sibal stated, "When the CAA is passed, no state can say that I will not implement it. It is unconstitutional. You can oppose it, pass a resolution in the assembly and May demand the central government to withdraw it. But constitutionally saying that I will not implement it can cause more problems. "

Kerala and Punjab have actually compared

Recently the Kerala government moved the Supreme Court resistant to the CAA.

->Which sought to declare "a violation of the principles of equality, liberty and secularism enshrined in the Constitution". It ended up being initial state to challenge this legislation and pass an answer resistant to the Kerala Legislative Assembly Act. Following inside the footsteps, the Punjab Assembly on Friday additionally passed an answer demanding the abolition of this questionable legislation. Several says including Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra have actually compared the CAA plus the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Registration (NPR).

'Local registrars are condition officials'

Kapil Sibal clarified that whenever states state that they can perhaps not apply CAA, whats their particular purpose and just how will they are doing therefore. He stated that states state that they can perhaps not let the condition officials to work utilizing the Center. He stated, "NRC will be based upon NPR and neighborhood registrars will apply NPR. Local registrars need to be appointed to compute this and theyre going to be condition amount officials. ''

'No political party when you look at the movement'

Sibal stated which he will not understand how you are able almost however it is extremely tough constitutionally to express by a situation federal government that itll perhaps not apply regulations passed away by the Parliament. Describing the nationwide activity as a battle between your 'leader' and 'people of India' up against the CAA, he stated that thank God that the 'students, bad and middle income' of this nation tend to be taking forth the activity, perhaps not Any governmental party. Its result will be produced because individuals globally and in the nation tend to be recognizing that this isnt politics. This is genuine. These are pupils, ordinary and poor middle-class people that are being released. He isnt related to any governmental celebration.

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No condition can will not apply CAA, performing this unconstitutional: Kapil Sibal - Sahiwal Tv

Institutional structures backed by law needed for police reforms – The Sunday Guardian

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Whats required is a clear intent and purpose, precise strategies, sharp tactics and flawless implementation.

Lets consider three different and current scenarios before we go deep into the case for police reforms.

1. The rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Hyderabad caused nationwide outrage of the intensity last seen in December 2012 when Nirbhaya was gang-raped and tortured in a private bus in Delhi. She later succumbed to her injuries. The Hyderabad doctor was found with her body half burnt. One isnt surprised at the jubilation that this police action elicited across the country. It is testament to the faith and trust (or lack of it) people have in due process and rule of law. Parents of the veterinary doctor have welcomed the instant justice delivered by the Hyderabad cops.

2. So have Nirbhayas parents. Its almost seven years but the system could seal the fate of the culprits who snatched away their daughter from them. If such is the state of affairs in a high profile case whose every development is closely scrutinised by the people, what to even speak of other crimes which dont register on the media radar.

3. A letter by G.R. Raghavender, Joint Secretary, Department of Justice, addressed to the important functionaries of the Ministry of Law and Justice said that re-engineering of court procedure for quick disposal of cases is one such idea which can reduce the burden on the judiciary. Another idea suggested was to provide better infrastructure to district and lower courts and increase the strength of the subordinate judiciary (as reported in the Economic Times). Data reveals that in the high courts, over 43 lakh cases are pending, while in the Supreme Court, the figure touches almost 60,000. Underscoring that a number of cases have been pending for last 25 years, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu has suggested a the division of the Supreme Court into a Constitution bench based in Delhi, and four new benches in Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai or Hyderabad, as per the suggestion of the Law Commission.

Are we surprised that whenever such high-profile cases occur the governments pay lip service and set up a few enquiry commissions and allow justice to take its due course? Everyone knows what that due course means; endless delays and meandering courses with possible bail and release.

Whats more surprising is that while the government started thinking about judicial reform, particularly in terms of large pendency of cases, it has somehow failed to see the elephant in the room; the much-needed police reforms and connected reforms of criminal justice systems. Large pendency is just one part.

When we say that the police cannot be allowed to play judge, jury and executioner, and certainly not given the fact how vulnerable it is to the influence of those in power, do we really look at the whole picture?

Consider the following:

1. Lakhs of posts are vacant in police departments across the country (19 lakhs less than the sanctioned strength). Around three million cases are pending in courts, half of which are pending for more than two years. Around 5,000 judicial posts are vacant at the subordinate level. The figure for high courts is in hundreds.

2. The total spend on the judiciary is around 0.01% of the gross domestic product or GDP (2013-14 figure). And this is all about capacity. There are several administrative reforms in courts and prosecution which can speed up justice. There is no lack of solutions on this front.

3. Our police force is one of the weakest in the world. According to studies, there are only 144 police officers for every one lakh people, considerably less than the United Nations-recommended number of 222. States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are even worse with less than 100 police staff for 100,000 population.

When we say short-sighted politicians with eyes on votes wont be bothered about it and only truly selfless would even give these issues a consideration, are we convinced its true that politicians alone are to be blamed? How about bureaucrats who have the proximity to the politicians and the government?

The country is crying for reforms in almost every sector. There are pressing demands for reforms in police, judiciary, economics, education, law, agriculture, bankingyou name it and there reforms are urgently needed. There are also committees and commissions set up time and again for every sector and lengthy reports are gathering dust with every ministry. Whenever crises occur, new commissions or committees are set up with tenures running to years and a fresh report is submitted, which meets with the same fate.

Who will read these reports and initiate action at some point of time? When the politician is busy with elections and party affairs, at least the bureaucrats have some leverage and discretion as to what needs to be highlighted and brought to the notice of the political bosses. This is where the bureaucracy has failed the nation. On the other hand, the bureaucracy had a single directive issued to CBI that no bureaucrat above the rank of Joint Secretary to be investigated, let alone prosecuted, without permission from the government, which is themselves! Rajiv Gandhi gleefully did it as he was riding a landslide victory. So, the bureaucracy knows how and when to get things done for themselves.

For instance, take police reforms. Any number of different parties in government, police commissions, reports, parliamentary committees, even Supreme Court directives; practically nothing could move the government to implement them. The system as designed in 1860 still continues and the forefathers who showed so much wisdom in other matters, failed to show the same maturity in designing the police force for the needs of a free India and not the British intent of ruling the natives by oppressing the natives. The main idea of setting up police commissions was to insulate the police from the influence of politicians. The whole debate on police reform has centred around this issue since the National Police Commissions Second Report came out in August 1979. This was followed by the reports of Ribeiro Committee on Police Reform (1998), Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reform (2000) and finally the Soli Sorabjee Committees draft model Police Act (2006) to replace the Police Act of 1861. This may be the reason why politicians dont want to disturb the hornets nest; to insulate the police from the political influence. Even Supreme Court directives for implementation of police reforms has little effect on the Central and the state governments, especially regarding setting up of State Security Commissions (SSC). The Supreme Court even wanted setting up of Police Establishment Boards in each state to ensure proper functioning of the police.

Another possible reason for the state governments for not implementing the recommendations of the National Police Commission (NPC) could be that the NPC wanted to lay down that the power of superintendence of the state government over the police should be limited for the purpose of ensuring that police performance is in strict accordance with law. Doesnt it restrict the unlimited powers of the state governments?

This is precisely why a statutory base is required for the National Police Commissions and the State Security Commissions, which could be achieved by a well intending majority government at the Centre. The entrenched system of abuse of power and lack of political will to introduce police reforms needs to be countered by establishing institutional structures backed by the force of law.

The idea of the police being a part of the community and accountable to it and of a policeman being a citizen in uniform, sensitive to the requirements of others and a means of accessing justice to the vast majority, was never intended to be. The police in India was created by the British to oppress Indians with Indians. This fundamental error in conception was sought to be changed by the NPC. Unfortunately, the same concept suits our present day masters too. Thats why they dont want to change it. And thats how it became the three most prominent features of the ugly face of the policeman in India; his partiality, brutality and corruption. These features are clearly and particularly noticeable when he is dealing with poor and disadvantaged people. The British raised the police in this country on a militaristic and authoritarian pattern. There was tremendous emphasis on maintenance of a type of discipline, which bordered on regimentation. Some studies of police stress have shown that the main cause of police stress is not so much the job itself but the police bureaucracy. The policies of the department and the manner in which the leadership handles men and situations cause tremendous stress.

Instead of taking remedial action, the excuse given is that police is a state subject and the police reform reports get forwarded to the states, where they are pending. To remind you, whos a constant factor in the states? Its not the politician, the parties, the government or anything else; its the state-level bureaucrats again. At worst, you can blame governments and politicians with lack of attention for these issues.

Well, its only an excuse, because if the government were serious, they would have started implementation in states where the same party rule is there. Or at the least in Union Territories, which are under Centres control. Or if theyre dead serious, theyll try to circumvent the Constitutional hurdles by amendments and ordinance, just as it was done in case of abolition of Article 370. Especially when the government has a majority in Parliament, if that was the only hurdle in the past. For instance, why police couldnt be brought on Concurrent List to check states like West Bengal and Kerala playing truant?

So, whats stopping this? Is it a lack of political and bureaucratic will combined together? Why? Is it because the bureaucracy fears losing importance? Is the politician afraid of police becoming more efficient? Whats the reason for fortifying the Central police organisations and not the state police forces? Is it power and control?

Ironically, we spend a lot of resources on external securitythe Army, intelligence, and the border security forces. But we fail to appreciate that a robust internal security mechanism like the police requires to be in place to complement the efforts on the border. When the government introduces laudable schemes and sensitive legislations, and certain groups enjoy their right to protest by burning public property, does it not look ridiculous if the police looks helpless with their hands tied? Didnt we see how policemen were brutally attacked when goons clashed inside JNU, Delhi recently?

We seem to have the burden of not only vested interests but also volatile heterogeneous public, which appears ready to jump to wrong conclusions if instigated by these elements and indulge in violence at the drop of a hat. If a majority government has lawful, longstanding issues to resolve and an opposition despite having near-zero presence in Parliament, can cause havoc on the streets, albeit for a short while only to switch to another issue, all that the government has are appeals and pleadings for peace as their defence! Why it doesnt occur to them to strengthen the arms of the police to deal with it firmly? How do these anti social elements have so much defiance and arrogance and police have so little deterrence? Why are we so scared of police atrocities and not goon atrocities, and inculcate politeness in them in such an overdose that they become pussies? Any democracy in the world, worth its salt, has a strong police force on the ground; so strong that they border on brutality. In India, ASI Wilson of the Tamil Nadu Police gets killed walking the street and no one cares. In our country, who killed the fear of the police, who took away the power of deterrence from the hands of the police?

DETERRENCE

Whats deterrence and how does it operate? In California, where I live, I went for a walk one morning. I noticed the traffic extraordinarily polite, going within speed limits, stopping at stop-signs etc at a particular junction. When I turned around, I found a police car parked unobtrusively in one corner. There was no cop to be seen. The car was removed after a couple of days. Later when I was talking to the police chief he laughed and said it was a standard practice to just leave a car like that, particularly when traffic violations showed an increase in that area. No wastage of manpower and improved law and order! I couldnt help thinking about our police who along with their cars are stone-pelted. Is this democracy or shamelessness? Would you like to attempt the same trick in our place without running the risk of getting the police Jeep stolen, repainted and resold?

One overriding cause could be our colonial attitude of excessive reliance on bureaucracy. Its possible that the bureaucracy simply doesnt understand and lack a passion for any issue plaguing the country. They simply function covering their back all the time. Covering their back includes hiding their mistakes and protecting the wrongdoers among them, and preventing the experts in the subject from taking over their place. As a result, the experts who have passion retire and write articles and deliver speeches hoping that those in power will read, listen and act someday. All that the bureaucrats do is to use their proximity to power; present this and not that, push it here and suppress another there. They cant be blamed; its like you dont lie, but you dont speak the truth either.

Whats required is not more and more commissions and reports; not laws and ordinances, not articles and essays in papers and academics. Its all there already, in the hands of those in authority and I am not going to enumerate the salient features of police reforms. Whats required is a clear intent and purpose, precise strategies, sharp tactics, and flawless implementation. In short, take out the commissions reports, dust them, and work on them.

Political, bureaucratic and people reforms anyone, before we even think of police reforms?

Sampath Ramanujan, a former IPS, has dealt with airport security and industrial security, and worked in policing, law & order and intelligence, apart from handling corporate security in top corporates.

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Institutional structures backed by law needed for police reforms - The Sunday Guardian

IFA meet with factories on lamb price and sheep issues – Agriland

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A delegation from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) held a meeting with Meat Industry Ireland (MII) this week, at which representatives from the main sheep processors were present.

Sean Dennehy, the IFAs national sheep chairperson, and other personnel from the associations National Sheep Committee, met with representatives of Irish Country Meats, Kepak, Kildare Chilling and Dawn Meats.

The need for strong, viable lamb prices and market prospects for 2020 were top of the agenda. In addition, we discussed specifications, quality assurance, EID [electronic identification] implementation, factory charges and sheep policy issues, Dennehy explained.

Dennehy said that the IFA delegation made it very clear to the factories that sheep farmer incomes were under severe pressure and lamb prices needed to continue rising.

We were very strong in the argument that carcass weight limitswere way too restrictive at the factories and new season lamb needed to open at a minimum carcass weight of 21kgs, Dennehy said.

We discussed the need for a lot more work by the Government in opening the important Chinese and US markets to Irish lamb exports, he added.

Now is the time to make progress in China and the Government cannot allow this opportunity to pass by, Dennehy insisted.

Dennehy and his team also raised the issue of the quality assurance bonus, urging the processors to increases the payment to 30c/kg.

Some plants have increased the bonus from 10c/kg to 15c/kg but a lot more needs to be done to properly reward farmers for quality assurance, he argued.

The processors informed the IFA delegation that all of them were now in a position to provide farmers with a full-print out of their dispatch docket when the farmers were selling lambs.

IFA put it very strongly to MII that the charges some plants are applying under the Clean Sheep Policy are totally unfair. Clipping charges on Category B lambs is wrong, said Dennehy.

He also called for the abolition of scrapie and SRM charges.

We also had a good discussion with the processing sector on sheep policy issues, including the need for a 30/ewe targeted support for sheep farmers; Brexit; CAP 2020; and International trade deals.

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Nanotechnology Company TriboTEX Has Launched a Kickstarter Campaign to Crowdfund Over $1 Million for Military Research – PRUnderground

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A local nanotechnology company is set to receive a $1.5 million dollar grant from the U.S. Air Force, if it can raise the matching funds in time. To that end, they announce the launch of their crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

Company founder and Chief Technology Officer Pavlo Rudenko, Ph.D., founded TriboTEX in Pullman, Washington in 2008. TriboTEX specializes in tribology, the study of friction, wear and lubrication. The company offers customers an oil additive made of nanoparticles designed to prolong the life of vehicles by self-assembling into a diamond-like coating. The particles act like a sticky note; slippery on one side, sticky on the other, they fuse to vulnerable surfaces under the heat and pressure of the engine.

Watch: WE WANT SOMETHING ELSE Developing the most advanced gearbox lubricant for flying machines

TriboTEX has won numerous awards and obtained funding from a variety of institutions, including the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and NASA.

To date, the company has sold over 36,000 units worldwide. They have a range of products suitable for the smallest lawn mower to semi-truck engines. Anywhere there are moving parts, friction causes wear. Wear yields loss of performance and efficiency. TriboTEX restores worn away surfaces like a new finish on an antique table. Not only does TriboTEX work in internal combustion engines, electric vehicles can benefit, too.

TriboTEX applied for a Small Business Innovation Research program through AFWERX in order to obtain access to the defense market. AFWERX is a United States Air Force program with the goal of fostering a culture of innovation within the service. Encompassing a number of programs supported with relatively small amounts of funding, the initiative is intended to circumvent bureaucracy and engage new entrepreneurs in Air Force programs.

The U.S. Air Force has challenged the TriboTEX team to raise up to $1.5 million for matched funding, which is necessary to scale the business operation and produce more products for military testing. TriboTEX is working with AFWERX to test TriboTEX products in military equipment. The TriboTEX team plans to raise the money necessary to fulfill their grant requirements through crowdfunding, by launching a Kickstarter campaign on January 14th, 2020 for the companys latest nanotechnology product, TriboTEX Transmission.

TriboTEX Transmission uses the patented dual-sided nanoparticles specifically designed for automatic transmissions. The nanoparticles reduce friction, which prevent accelerated wear, lower temperature and noise, and extend the life of the transmission. Transmissions treated with TriboTEX will last longer, potentially saving thousands in expensive repairs.

Currently, the Department of Defense spends millions of taxpayer dollars in maintenance costs. TriboTEX aims to save Americans millions by preserving equipment used by the military. Helicopter gear boxes are limited in flight time, and longevity is critical for safety of the flight, stressed CTO Rudenko, who says the product will work for anyone who wants to improve the functionality of their transmission, whether its a 2002 Toyota Prius or a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

To support the crowdfunding campaign, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tribotex/tribotex-transmission-power-endurance-with-nanotech?ref=34t7hw.

Contact Information

Dr. Pavlo Rudenko, Ph.D.

Founder & Chief Technology Officer

(509) 339 7771

Lauren Paterson

Media & Marketing Manager

(208) 301 0087

Brian Hanson

Bioenergy Engineer

(208) 790 1794

About TriboTEX

Founded in 2008, TriboTEX LLC manufactures and produces TriboTEX, an oil additive made of nanoparticles, designed to increase engine horsepower, reduce gas mileage, and enhance overall engine performance. Currently, TriboTEX is pursuing industry partnerships to reduce friction, conserve energy, and reduce waste around the world. Viable for a broad range of applications, smart protective film-forming formulations developed by TriboTEX can be added to currently available lubricating blends to offer valuable solutions for the automotive, industrial, military, and wind power sectors. Visit us at tribotex.com.

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Nanotechnology Company TriboTEX Has Launched a Kickstarter Campaign to Crowdfund Over $1 Million for Military Research - PRUnderground

Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Market: Industry Size, Trends and Analysis Growth Revenue And Cost Analysis With Key Company’s Profiles, Forecast To…

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Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Market: Industry Size, Trends and Analysis Growth Revenue And Cost Analysis With Key Company's Profiles, Forecast To...