MPs angry as Shell distances itself from NAM earthquake claims

DutchNews, January 29, 2018

A gas drilling site. Photo: Graham Dockery

There has been furious reaction after energy giant Shell distanced itself from possible claims for earthquake damages in Groningen province made against its subsidiary gas production company NAM. 

MPs are calling for an emergency debate to discuss the issue, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Monday. 

In addition, farmers in the earthquake-damaged province of Groningen are planning a demonstration Monday evening in Delfzijl, local paper Dagblad van het Noorden said. Farmers claim subsidence harms their crops and threatens their manure stores. 

Moreover, many claim NAM does not have the money to settle the escalating claims which are certain to reach billions of euros. 

The row was triggered on Saturday when Trouw said Shell was backing away from possible earthquake damages claims made again NAM, an assertion based on Shell Nederland’s annual report published in June 2017. 

In the report, Shell withdrew a clause regarding its responsibility for NAM. The clause is legally required to make companies responsible for debts of subsidiaries which do not publish their own annual reports. 

Experts told the paper this means Shell is probably not responsible for the escalating costs for earthquake damage by NAM in the northern province. NAM Is jointly owned by Shell and ExxonMobil. 

Provisions 

NAM published an annual report for the first time in 2017. In that report, the company said it had earmarked €3.4bn for provisions on its balance sheet – a small portion of this, 15% or €495m, is reserved for claims made against the company for earthquake damage. 

This, experts say, is likely to be well below the total needed. 

So far most of the damage caused to property in Groningen is paid for directly or indirectly by taxpayers, broadcaster NOS said earlier in January. The state has put €750m into damage compensation and preventing further subsidence, while NAM has invested €422m, the broadcaster said, quoting economic affairs ministry figures. 

Last week, NAM was ordered by judges in Leeuwarden to immediately start compensating home owners in Groningen for the loss of value caused by the earthquakes, rather than to wait until their houses are sold. 

NAM’s first annual report also revealed that Shell and ExxonMobil split €496m in dividend payments in 2016. This is the first time that it was made clear just how much the two oil giants earn from gas production in the Netherlands.

China's #MeToo movement emerges, testing censors' limits

Yahoo – AFP, Joanna CHIU, January 25, 2018

While #MeToo has shaken artistic, media and political circles globally, in China
the discussion has focused on universities (AFP Photo/WANG ZHAO)

Beijing (AFP) - Former doctoral student Luo Qianqian was "amazed" that her sexual assault story went viral in China, inspiring other women to denounce rampant harassment on campuses and unleashing a #MeToo movement in the country despite censorship challenges.

Before she accused her professor of assaulting her, under the pretence of asking for help watering his plants, #MeToo had been slow to catch on in China.

Activists say efforts to unmask sexual abuse have faced government apathy or even resistance. This time however, Luo's New Year's Day post on the Twitter-like Weibo platform received three million views within hours.

Ten days later, Beijing's Beihang University stripped computer scientist Chen Xiaowu of his position as vice-director of the graduate school after an investigation established he had sexually harassed multiple students.

The hashtags "Me too" and "Me too in China" quickly became trending topics on Weibo, with many more people speaking about their assaults.

But while Communist authorities have allowed the movement to emerge, they have done so within limits -- as they often do with hot social issues -- censoring some content as the topic spread on social media.

Collective action is risky in China, where courts have sentenced signatories of petitions calling for legal reform to years in jail for crimes like "subversion".

But in a rare show of solidarity among intellectuals, more than 50 professors from over 30 colleges have signed an anti-sexual harassment manifesto.

Amid the uproar, the education ministry said it had a "zero tolerance" policy and will establish a new mechanism to prevent sexual harassment.

"The ministry's response was really a surprise, because it's a commitment from our country. I'm very glad my country is finally making this move," Luo told AFP.

It was also a far cry from the harsh response in 2015, when Beijing police detained five feminist campaigners planning to distribute leaflets against domestic violence, releasing them a month later.

Since then, women's rights groups have been forced to suspend operations and several feminist activists told AFP police have suggested they tone down their activity.

'Soft censorship'

There is no legal definition of sexual harassment in China and no national regulations on how to handle sexual assault cases in schools and workplaces.

Sexual harassment is a sensitive topic in China, where political leadership is a man's world with only one woman in the Communist Party's elite 25-member Politburo.

Dozens of senior politicians netted in an ongoing anti-corruption campaign have been accused of paying for sex or engaging in "power for sex" trades, and several officials have been convicted of raping underage girls.

"It is well documented that many Chinese officials treat women like playthings to use for pleasure," human rights lawyer Guo Jianmei told AFP.

"The whole fabric of Chinese society disadvantages women. It's nearly impossible to sue about sexual harassment because courts have no framework on how to process cases."

As the #MeToo movement gains momentum, authorities have begun to censor online posts to ensure they don't move in the "wrong" direction, observers say.

In the past week, censors deleted hundreds of social media posts with the tag "Me too in China" and closed related topic forums.

While many people are still scared to speak out, #MeToo has made huge strides 

in raising awareness in China (AFP Photo/WANG ZHAO)

"Determined users can still have discussions in new channels. That is what I call 'soft censorship'," said Sandra Fu, who tracks Chinese internet trends at the US-based China Digital Times.

Some online petition signers have been called in for questioning, according to Chinese feminist activists.

"Students who signed my open letter on sexual harassment were questioned by their professors," said Xiao Meili, who penned a letter to her alma mater, the Communication University of China.

"They were asked, 'Why write to the school? What was the point?' They also asked students whether they were influenced by foreign forces," Xiao told AFP.

#Workplace#Too

Official state media often uses the term "foreign forces" to discredit criticism. Beijing has long argued that human rights should be defined in Chinese terms.

Yet state-run media has continued to report about the movement, with the Global Times newspaper running a piece last Friday titled, "The #MeToo Hush-up" about harassment victims encountering censorship and threats.

While #MeToo has shaken artistic, media and political circles globally, in China the discussion has focused on universities. Activists are pushing to extend the dialogue to the workplace, with training on how companies can deal with harassment.

Many people are too scared about losing their jobs to speak out, but #MeToo has made huge strides in raising awareness, said Zhang Yajun, a Beijing podcast host.

"When I was young, I had no concept of sexual harassment so when a boss knocked on my hotel room in the middle of the night during a business trip, it didn't occur to me to report to anyone," she said.

"I definitely feel more optimistic now than last month because suddenly this broad conversation is happening."

Up to 175 years in jail for disgraced USA Gymnastics doctor

Yahoo – AFP, Jeff KOWALSKY, with Chris LEFKOW Washington, January 24, 2018

Disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar address the court ahead of
his sentencing for sexual abuse of female athletes over the course of several
decades (AFP Photo/JEFF KOWALSKY)

Lansing (United States) (AFP) - Disgraced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday after a week of raw emotional testimony by scores of women he sexually abused for years under the guise of medical treatment.

"I've just signed your death warrant," Judge Rosemarie Aquilina said as she handed down what amounts to a life sentence to the 54-year-old Nassar in a tense Lansing, Michigan, courtroom.

"You do not deserve to walk outside of a prison ever again," the judge said as Nassar, dressed in a blue prison jumpsuit, stood expressionless before her flanked by two defense attorneys.

"You're a danger, you remain a danger," Aquilina said. "Anywhere you walk destruction will occur to those most vulnerable."

Minutes ahead of the sentencing, Nassar apologized in court to his victims, who included Olympic gold-medal winning gymnasts Simone Biles, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas and McKayla Maroney but also scores of female athletes at Michigan State University, where he worked.

"What I am feeling pales in comparison to the pain, trauma, and emotional destruction that all of you are feeling," Nassar said, turning at several points to face his victims in court.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar 

to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexual abuse (AFP Photo/JEFF KOWALSKY)

"There are no words to describe the depth and breadth of how sorry I am for what has occurred," he said.

Judge Aquilina scoffed at his apology, however, and read from a letter in which Nassar, despite his guilty plea, once again claimed to have been providing legitimate medical treatment.

"It was not treatment. It was not medical," the judge said. "I wouldn't send my dogs to you, sir."

In extraordinary scenes over the past week, around 160 women appeared in court or testified anonymously to the emotional pain and suffering they continue to experience because of the sexual abuse by Nassar.

The slight, bespectacled Nassar looked down or occasionally wiped his eyes with a tissue as woman after woman delivered gut-wrenching statements about the impact of his abuse.

'Bravest person ever'

Already sentenced to 60 years in prison on federal child pornography charges, Nassar pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct. He was sentenced Wednesday on seven of those counts, with a final additional sentence to be handed down later this month.

Rachael Denhollander, the first woman to publicly accuse former USA Gymnastics 

doctor Larry Nassar of sexual abuse, speaks at his sentencing hearing (AFP Photo/

JEFF KOWALSKY)

The final woman to deliver a statement in court was Rachael Denhollander, the first to publicly accuse Nassar of abuse and file a police report against him.

Calling for the maximum sentence, she asked the judge: "How much is a little girl worth? How much is a young woman worth."

Denhollander said the "brazen sexual assault" upon her occurred when she was 15 years old and was carried out "with my own mother in the room," unaware of what was going on.

"I assured myself it must be fine because I could trust the adults around me," Denhollander said.

"I pray you experience the soul-crushing weight of guilt," she told Nassar.

Judge Aquilina congratulated Denhollander for coming forward and building "an army of survivors."

"You are the bravest person I have ever had in my courtroom," the judge said.

Another abuse victim, Sterling Riethman, told Nassar -- but also the authorities at USA Gymnastics (USAG), the US Olympic Committee (USOC) and Michigan State University (MSU) -- "this army isn't going anywhere."

"We are here to show you," said the 25-year-old, "there is no white flag to wave when it comes to protecting little girls and their futures."

USOC announces probe

Riethman and others thanked Judge Aquilina for opening up the sentencing phase of the trial to anyone who wished to share their experiences -- in what turned into a cathartic experience for many survivors.

Parents spoke of the anguish of failing to protect their children from a predator, and women spoke of post-traumatic stress and deep emotional scars.

(L-R) Olympic gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas and 

Aly Raisman -- shown here with teammate Kyla Ross (far right) after winning gold 

in the team competition in 2012 in London -- have said they were abused by Nassar 

(AFP Photo/BEN STANSALL)

Olympic gold-medal winning gymnast Aly Raisman, confronting Nassar on Friday, echoed the words and feelings of many athletes.

"You are so sick. I can't even comprehend how angry I feel when I think of you," Raisman said.

As victim after victim detailed Nassar's actions -- they also slammed a lack of accountability among sporting institutions.

Shortly after the sentence was handed down, the USOC said it will hold an independent probe into USA Gymnastics and the Olympic Committee itself.

In an open letter, USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun said the third party probe would seek to establish "who knew what and when" and how "abuse of this proportion could have gone undetected for so long."

Three top officials of USA Gymnastics' board of directors resigned this week but USOC is demanding an entire overhaul of the board.

USAG also severed ties with the famed Karolyi Ranch -- the Texas training facility once considered a breeding ground of champions, where Nassar reportedly had unfettered access to young girls.

The body overseeing US collegiate sports, the NCAA, has also opened an investigation into the handling of the case by MSU, which is facing multiple lawsuits.

Nassar remained employed at the university until September 2016, when allegations against him were first made public by a newspaper.

#UPDATE Disgraced former US gymnastics doctor Nassar was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing scores of young girls under the guise of medical treatment https://t.co/yOrOoy3ey3

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 24, 2018

Related Article:

USA Gymnastics top directors resign in wake of abuse scandal


"The Great Escape" - Mar 11, 2017 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

“… The Fall of Many - Seen It Yet?

You are going to see more and more personal secrets being revealed about persons in high places of popularity or government. It will seem like an epidemic of non-integrity! But what is happening is exactly what we have been teaching. The new energy has light that will expose the darkness of things that are not commensurate with integrity. They have always been there, and they were kept from being seen by many who keep secrets in the dark. Seen the change yet?

In order to get to a more stable future, you will have to go through gyrations of dark and light. What this means is that the dark is going to be revealed and push back at you. It will eventually lose. We told you this. That's what you're here for is to help those around you who don't see an escape from the past. They didn't get their nuclear war, but everything else is going into the dumper anyway. … “

USA Gymnastics top directors resign in wake of abuse scandal

Yahoo – AFP, January 22, 2018

USA Gymnastics faced stinging criticism of the organisation's handling of sexual
abuse by victims who include Olympic superstar Simone Biles, pictured in 2016
(AFP Photo/Ben STANSALL)

Chicago (AFP) - The executive leadership of USA Gymnastics' board of directors has resigned in the wake of the sexual abuse scandal involving former US team doctor Larry Nassar, the governing body announced Monday.

Chairman Paul Parilla, vice chairman Jay Binder and treasurer Bitsy Kelley stepped down following stinging criticism of the organisation's handling of the Nassar case by victims who include Olympic superstar Simone Biles and other gold medallists.

"We support their decisions to resign at this time," said Kerry Perry, who was named president of USA Gymnastics in November.

"We believe this step will allow us to more effectively move forward in implementing change within our organization."

USA Gymnastics has come under fire during the ongoing sentencing hearing for Nassar in Michigan, in which more than 100 gymnasts have given statements against the disgraced former doctor, who faces life in prison for his offences.

The board of directors will name interim chairpersons until permanent selections are made as the beleaguered body tries to advance beyond the scandal.

It's a step the US Olympic Committee (USOC) has been seeking for months, USOC president Scott Blackmun said in a statement stressing the need to focus on the victimized women.

"New board leadership is necessary because the current leaders have been focused on establishing that they did nothing wrong," Blackmun said in a statement.

"USA Gymnastics needs to focus on supporting the brave surviviors. The Olympic family failed these athletes and we must continue to take every step necessary to ensure this never happens again."

Victims fury in testimony

USA Gymnastics president Perry replaced Steve Penny, who resigned last March after 12 years in the post following criticism of how USA Gymnastics handled the abuse claims.

"Several people did speak up. Why didn't anyone listen or care enough to do anything?" asked Paula Daniels, whose daughter Samantha was identified as a victim of Nassar's abuse.

Nassar, 54, has pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct and faces life in prison. He has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.

Larry Nassar listens to victim impact statements during his sentencing hearing
on January 17, 2018 in Lansing, Michigan (AFP Photo/SCOTT OLSON)

At his sentencing hearing in Michigan, more victims spoke on Monday, including Taylor Livingston, who talked about the guilt she felt concealing the abuse from her father, who died last year.

"When you die, you're going to hell," she told Nassar. "But there will be a pit stop on the way where you'll have to face my dad, who now knows what you've done... and when you do, you will suffer."

Lead prosecutor Angela Povilaitis said 144 people were set to give victim impact statements and another two dozen speakers were planned, most testifying to the profound toll the abuse has taken on their lives and families.

'Life is a constant fight'

The hearing's fifth day also featured Livingston, who was 13 at her first appointment with Nassar in 2009, saying she suffered from constant depression and anxiety.

"Life is a chore," she said. "Life is a constant fight."

Nassar's victims, according to prosecutors and civil attorneys, include his former family babysitter and athletes in several women's sports programs at Michigan State University, where he worked.

The Karolyi Ranch, a suburban Houston layout once famed as a breeding ground of champions, will no longer serve as a training site for top gymnasts, USA Gymnastics announced last week, the facility holding too many horrific memories for too many US athletes.

Biles, who dazzled in winning gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said in her Twitter post last week revealing abuse by Nassar at the ranch that it "breaks my heart" to think of training there for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

USA Gymnastics also came under attack after it emerged that Olympic gold medalist McKayla Maroney had been required to sign a gag order preventing her from talking about the abuse under the terms of a $1.25 million settlement agreed in 2016.

USA Gymnastics later waived the order last week following criticism, saying Maroney would be free to discuss the abuse without fear of financial penalty.

Related Articles:

Dutch IOC member under pressure to quit over domestic violence incident

"The Great Escape" - Mar 11, 2017 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

“… The Fall of Many - Seen It Yet?

You are going to see more and more personal secrets being revealed about persons in high places of popularity or government. It will seem like an epidemic of non-integrity! But what is happening is exactly what we have been teaching. The new energy has light that will expose the darkness of things that are not commensurate with integrity. They have always been there, and they were kept from being seen by many who keep secrets in the dark. Seen the change yet?

In order to get to a more stable future, you will have to go through gyrations of dark and light. What this means is that the dark is going to be revealed and push back at you. It will eventually lose. We told you this. That's what you're here for is to help those around you who don't see an escape from the past. They didn't get their nuclear war, but everything else is going into the dumper anyway. … “

Rupert Murdoch says Facebook should pay for 'trusted' news

Yahoo – AFP, January 22, 2018

News Corp founder Rupert Murdoch, seen here in 2017, is urging Facebook
to pay "trusted" news organizations for content, in the same way cable TV operators
pay for channels (AFP Photo/AL BELLO)

Washington (AFP) - Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch said Monday that large online platforms like Facebook should pay "trusted" news organizations as part of efforts to improve credibility and stem misinformation.

In a statement issued by his News Corp, the publishing unit which includes newspapers in the United States, Britain and Australia, Murdoch offered up his idea as a way to boost trust in online news and support journalism, using the "carriage fee" model in the cable TV industry.

"Facebook and Google have popularized scurrilous news sources through algorithms that are profitable for these platforms but inherently unreliable," Murdoch said.

"There has been much discussion about subscription models but I have yet to see a proposal that truly recognizes the investment in and the social value of professional journalism."

Murdoch's comments come days after Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg unveiled plans for the leading social network to enlist its user base to rank the quality of news sources as part of an effort to curb the spread of false news.

Murdoch said: "We will closely follow the latest shift in Facebook's strategy, and I have no doubt that Mark Zuckerberg is a sincere person, but there is still a serious lack of transparency that should concern publishers and those wary of political bias at these powerful platforms."

The 86-year-old media baron, who is executive chairman of News Corp. as well as the media-entertainment group 21st Century Fox, added that "the time has come to consider a different route."

"If Facebook wants to recognize 'trusted' publishers then it should pay those publishers a carriage fee similar to the model adopted by cable companies," he said.

"The publishers are obviously enhancing the value and integrity of Facebook through their news and content but are not being adequately rewarded for those services. Carriage payments would have a minor impact on Facebook's profits but a major impact on the prospects for publishers and journalists."

The remarks also come with most traditional news organizations struggling as readers shift to online news sources, and as digital ad revenues are increasingly going to Facebook and Google because of their dominance in the online ecosystem.

Facebook and Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Related Article:

Saudi prince sells 21st Century Fox stake in blow to Murdochs

Mass crowds rally for anti-Trump Women's Marches across US

Yahoo – AFP, Catherine TRIOMPHE, with Maggy Donaldson in Washington, January 20, 2018

People rally at the Lincoln Memorial for the second edition of the anti-Donald Trump
Women's March on Washington (AFP Photo/Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS)

New York (AFP) - Protestors took to the streets en masse across the United States Saturday, hoisting anti-Donald Trump placards, banging drums and donning pink caps symbolic of the resistance for a second Women's March opposing the president one year to the day of his inauguration.

By mid-morning hundreds of thousands of marchers had assembled in Washington, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities nationwide, many donning the famous pink knit "pussy hats" -- a reference to Trump's videotaped boasts of his license to grope women without repercussions.

Protestors hoisted placards with messages including "Fight like a girl" and "A woman's place is in the White House" and "Elect a clown, expect a circus."

Another took aim at Trump's government: "I've seen smarter cabinets at IKEA," it said, referring to a furniture store with items requiring often-tedious and time-consuming assembly.

In New York a diverse crowd comprised primarily of women descended on Central Park West, the avenue that borders Manhattan's beloved park and finishes at the foot of the Trump International Hotel, part of the magnate-turned-commander-in-chief's real estate empire.

A woman carries a poster as she marches in New York City against the Donald 

Trump administration (AFP Photo/Kena Betancur)

"We live in an alternate universe -- it is so bad," said Althea Fusco, 67, who traveled to the city from upstate New York with two neighbors.

"I see an erosion of democracy," she said.

The marches aim to build on the movement launched last year when more than three million people turned out nationwide, voicing opposition to the Republican president's swearing-in.

The weekend of demonstrations have vowed to keep that momentum rolling with the theme "Power to the Polls" -- a message designed to drive national voter registration and maximize women's involvement in the 2018 midterm elections, translating enthusiasm into concrete political action.

The president meanwhile posted a deadpan tweet referencing the rallies protesting his policies, urging people to "get out there and celebrate the historic milestones and unprecedented economic success and wealth creation that has taken place over the last 12 months."

"Beautiful weather all over our great country, a perfect day for all Women to March," he wrote.

Demonstrators rally in Chicago for the second Women's March, which is focusing this 

year on voter registration and women campaigning for office (AFP Photo/JIM YOUNG)

'Cannot rest'

In Los Angeles throngs of people marched towards City Hall, while protestors rallied in Washington at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial that towers over the capital's sprawling National Mall esplanade -- speaking out on a raft of issues ranging from immigrant protections to racial equality to the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct.

"We feel like our work isn't done and that there's so much more that we need to fix," said Tanaquil Eltson, 14, who also demonstrated in Washington's 2017 march.

"I know the world around me isn't happy colors; it's scary. But I'm excited to be able to fix it," she said, clad in a red and blue Superwoman outfit.

Her mother Vitessa Del Prete, a retired US army lieutenant colonel, pointed to the recent flood of sexual abuse and harassment allegations against powerful men that has galvanized women to fight back against injustice.

"I've lived through decades of sexual harassment issues and it's getting better -- but it's nowhere near where it needs to be," the 51-year-old said, sporting a full Wonder Woman costume in coordination with her daughter.

"Issues that face women are just not being represented well enough in our country, so it's a privilege to be able to get out here and try to do something from a citizen standpoint."

More than 300 towns and cities are organizing anniversary marches and rallies.

"We cannot rest," said Pam Morris in Washington. "We have to keep energized until we overcome this administration."

"We cannot get worn down. We have to be here."

Crowds rally at the second Women's March on the National Mall in Washington, DC and around the country on the first anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration #WomensMarch2018 https://t.co/oazZvGnVvu pic.twitter.com/91zvmPzSRV

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 20, 2018

Lactalis feels heat as families rebuff CEO's pledges on salmonella

Yahoo – AFP, January 15, 2018

Quentin Guillemain, president of the Lactalis victim's association, said the
explanations given by the Lactalis boss fell far short of expectations (AFP
Photo/Eric FEFERBERG)

Paris (AFP) - Pressure rose on French dairy giant Lactalis on Monday as the parents of babies who became sick after drinking salmonella-laced milk demanded answers over a scare affecting dozens of countries.

Lactalis CEO Emmanuel Besnier said at the weekend that more than 12 million packages of Picot, Milumel, Celia and other brands of powdered baby milk had been recalled in 83 countries and offered to compensate all the affected families.

An association of victim's families, which met with the government on Monday, has rejected the offer, accusing Lactalis of trying to buy their silence.

The association's president Quentin Guillemain said Monday the explanations given by Besnier in an interview Sunday -- his first since the outbreak in December -- fell far short of expectations.

"We still don't know where they are, we don't know if they have been destroyed or if they've been drunk," he said.

He said it also remained unclear when the salmonella outbreak at Lactalis's Craon plant in western France first occurred, suggesting it could have been before 2017, the period initially covered by the recall announced in December.

"It's a question we asked once again, and as of now we have not had any response," said Guillemain, who has demanded an apology from Lactalis.

His group has disputed health authorities' tally of 37 children sickened by the salmonella outbreak in France, saying that without systematic testing of babies brought to doctors, the true figure remains unknown.

Hundreds of families have filed lawsuits against the company.

Anger has been growing since it emerged that Lactalis's own tests had discovered salmonella at the Craon site in August and November, but did not report the findings because it had no legal obligation to do so.

Besnier denied claims that Lactalis had lied about the dates and number of stocks affected by the salmonella outbreak.

"At no point was there any intention of hiding things," he said.

Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux said Sunday the company's explanations were insufficient.

"When you have a case of milk on the market which has clearly caused complicated health problems for children, it means at some point there was negligence," Griveaux said.

Parents of babies who became sick after drinking salmonella-laced milk demand answers from Lactalis https://t.co/Cq9KKs2XDV pic.twitter.com/2mui1LaAYz

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 15, 2018

Ecuador grants citizenship to WikiLeaks founder Assange: foreign minister

Yahoo – AFP, January 11, 2018

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has refused to leave the embassy, claiming he
fears being extradited to the United States (AFP Photo/Justin TALLIS)

Quito (AFP) - Ecuador has granted citizenship to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who has been sheltering at its London embassy for five years to avoid arrest, Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa announced Thursday.

Espinosa told a press conference in Quito that Assange, a 46-year-old Australian, became an Ecuadoran citizen on December 12.

As a result, she said Ecuador had asked London to recognize Assange as a diplomat -- which would give him safe passage out of the embassy without fear of arrest -- but Britain had refused.

"The Ecuadoran government is empowered to grant nationality to the protected person and thus facilitate... his inclusion in the host state," Espinosa told reporters.

She said the request to Britain to accept diplomatic status for Assange was made on December 20, and denied a day later.

The foreign minister said Quito would not insist further on the issue because of the "good relations we have with the United Kingdom".

The British foreign ministry said in a statement that Ecuador had "recently requested diplomatic status for Mr Assange here in the UK. The UK did not grant that request, nor are we in talks with Ecuador on this matter."

Ecuador's attempt to obtain diplomatic status for Assange comes as part of the country's broader efforts to resolve the case of their long-term lodger, who moved into the embassy in 2012 to avoid arrest over a Swedish probe into rape allegations.

Sweden dropped their investigation over the 2010 allegations last year, but British police have said they are still seeking to arrest him for failing to surrender to a court after violating bail terms.

"Ecuador knows that the way to resolve this issue is for Julian Assange to leave the embassy to face justice," Britain's foreign ministry said on Thursday.

Assange has refused to step outside the embassy and claimed he fears being extradited to the United States, over WikiLeaks' publication of leaked secret US military documents and diplomatic cables in 2010.

Espinosa had said on Tuesday her government was looking at the possibility of a "third country or a personality" stepping in to resolve the stand-off.

"No solution will be achieved without international cooperation and the cooperation of the United Kingdom, which has also shown interest in seeking a way out," she said.

Key dates in the life of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange pic.twitter.com/ozYbU6suuI

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 11, 2018

Oprah declares 'new day' for women in campaign-like Globe speech

Yahoo – AFP, January 8, 2018

Actress and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey delivered a rousing, campaign-style
speech as she accepted a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement (AFP Photo/
KEVIN WINTER)

Los Angeles (AFP) - Oprah Winfrey on Sunday declared a "new day" for women and girls facing down abusive men as her powerful speech to the Golden Globe Awards stirred talk that she has a political future.

Within moments of the daytime television trailblazer's remarks at the Hollywood gala, effusive fans called for her to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020, although she has given no indication she is interested.

The 63-year-old Winfrey, whose former talk show ushered in an era of confessional television and helped make her a billionaire, delivered a forceful but tightly focused speech that brought together issues of gender, poverty and race as she accepted a lifetime achievement award.

She saluted the #MeToo movement that has quickly gained steam after revelations of rampant sexual misconduct by film mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Paying tribute to Recy Taylor, an African American woman who daringly reported her 1944 gang rape by six white men in Alabama and died last month just short of her 98th birthday, Winfrey deplored "a culture broken by brutally powerful men."

"For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up! Their time is up!" Winfrey said to a standing ovation and even some tears in the audience.

"So I want all the girls watching here now to know that a new day is on the horizon," Winfrey said.

"And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women -- many of whom are right here in this room tonight -- and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say 'me too' again," she said.

Hailing role of media

Winfrey highlighted her own life rising up from a violence-scarred childhood. She recalled her awe as a girl watching television in Milwaukee when Sidney Poitier became the first black person to win the Oscar for best actor in 1964.

She also hailed the role of the media, so often maligned by Trump as "fake news."

"It's the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and to injustice," she said.

"I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times."

At the start of the Golden Globes, host Seth Meyers playfully encouraged Winfrey to run for president against Trump, who made history by winning despite never holding a previous political or military position.

Meyers had appeared at the now infamous 2011 White House Correspondents Association dinner where he and then president Barack Obama mocked the idea of Trump in the White House. The real estate mogul fumed in his seat.

"Some have said that night convinced him to run. So, if that's true, I just want to say, Oprah, you will never be president. You do not have what it takes," Meyers said, while also proposing actor Tom Hanks as a vice presidential candidate.

Oprah Winfrey poses with her lifetime achievement award 

received at the 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards (AFP 

Photo/KEVIN WINTER)

Fans see White House

For some of Winfrey's fans, a presidential run didn't seem far-fetched after her speech, with the topic quickly taking off on social media.

"As I sit here in tears...I have never ever seen such a speech," the country singer Billy Gilman wrote on Twitter.

"@Oprah, my friend. Please run for President. This world needs more of THAT. WOW."

Winfrey had generally stayed away from overt politics until the 2008 election when she campaigned vigorously for Obama in an endorsement credited with helping him secure the Democratic Party's nomination.

The then governor of Illinois briefly considered Winfrey to replace Obama in the Senate, but she did not voice interest.

With her vast audience and quickly relatable style, Winfrey has long been considered one of America's most influential celebrities.

Her show has helped raise discussion in the United States on issues ranging from gay rights to abusive puppy breeding mills, while her endorsement power is avidly sought by the publishing industry.

Oprah Winfrey declares a 'new day' for women and girls facing down abusive men, as her powerful speech to the Golden Globe Awards stirs talk that she has a political future https://t.co/g1SMkIzsfb pic.twitter.com/V5AzSAH1p9

— AFP news agency (@AFP) January 8, 2018