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Inside C5 Tuesday, January 2 , 2017 | www.today-america.com | Southern News Group After Trump criticism, China denies selling oil illicitly to North Korea

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) countries, including China, engaged - China on Friday denied reports it transhipping oil products and coal. had been illicitly selling oil products Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes- to North Korea in violation of U.N. woman Hua Chunying told reporters sanctions, after U.S. President Donald she had noted recent media reports, Trump said he was not happy that Chi- including suggestions a Chinese ves- na had allowed oil to reach the isolated sel was suspected of transporting oil nation. to a North Korean vessel on Oct. 19. Trump said on Twitter on Thursday ”In reality, the ship in question has, that China had been “caught RED since August, not docked at a Chi- HANDED” allowing oil into North nese port and there is no record of it Korea and that would prevent “a entering or leaving a Chinese port,“ friendly solution” to the crisis over Hua said adding that the reports ”did Pyongyang’s development of nucle- not accord with facts. ar-tipped missiles capable of hitting “China has always implemented the United States. U.N. Security Council resolutions In a subsequent New York Times pertaining to North Korea in their interview, Trump explicitly tied his entirety and fulfils its international administration’s trade policy with Chi- obligations. We never allow Chinese na, North Korea’s neighbor and lone companies and citizens to violate the major ally, to cooperation in resolving resolutions,” Hua said. the North Korea standoff. “If, through investigation, it’s “I have been soft on China because the confirmed there are violations of the only thing more important to me than U.N. Security Council resolutions, trade is war,” he said. “If they’re help- China will deal with them seriously ing me with North Korea, I can look at in accordance with laws and regula- trade a little bit differently, at least for tions.” a period of time. And that’s what I’ve South Korea said on Friday that Dried walleye pollocks from North Korea are displayed for sale at a market in Shenyang's Xita District been doing. But when oil is going in, in late November it seized a Hong I‘m not happy about that.” Kong-flagged ship, the Lighthouse and the Korean peninsula, on the kets or times when stocks could be North Korea and the U.N. Securi- South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper Winmore, suspected of transfer- order of its -based charterer, purchased at lower prices later in the ty Council last week unanimously this week quoted South Korean gov- ring oil to North Korea. The ship’s Billions Bunker Group Corp. year,” Hirsch wrote in a blog post. imposed new sanctions in response to ernment sources as saying that U.S. registered manager, Lighthouse Ship A spokesman for Taiwan’s presiden- Both ships were among 10 vessels Pyongyang’s Nov. 29 test of an inter- spy satellites had detected Chinese Management, is in the Chinese port tial office, Alex Huang, said the firm the United States has proposed that continental ballistic missile (ICBM). ships transferring oil to North Korean of Guangzhou. was not incorporated in Taiwan and the U.N. Security Council should Those sanctions seek to further vessels about 30 times since October. A South Korean Foreign Ministry China’s Foreign Ministry spokes- blacklist for transporting banned limit North Korea’s access to refined U.S. officials have not confirmed official said the ship transferred as woman said she did not have any items from North Korea, documents petroleum products and crude oil and details of this report but a U.S. State much as 600 tons to the North Ko- information about the matter.improve seen by Reuters this month showed. Washington says the full cooperation Department official said Washington rea-flagged Sam Jong 2 on Oct. 19 in spending but does nothing to boost The Trump administration has led a of China, North Korea’ main trading had evidence of vessels from several international waters between China productivity. drive to step up global sanctions on partner, is vital if this peaceful pres Trump wants Postal Service to charge ‘much more’ for Amazon shipments WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Re- Twitter. with commissioners selected by the uters) - President Donald Trump The president’s tweet drew fresh president from both political parties. called on the U.S. Postal Service attention to the fragile finances of That panel raised prices on packages on Friday to charge “much more” the postal service at a time when by almost 2 percent in November. to ship packages for Amazon tens of millions of parcels have been Amazon was founded by Jeff Bezos, (AMZN.O) Amazon, picking anoth- shipped all over the country for the who remains the chief executive er fight with the online retail giant he holiday season. officer of the retail company and has criticized in the past. The U.S. Postal Service, which runs is the richest person in the world, “Why is the United States Post at a big loss, is an independent agen- according to Bloomberg. Bezos Office, which is losing many billions cy within the federal government also owns The Washington Post, a of dollars a year, while charging and does not receive tax dollars for newspaper that Trump has repeatedly Amazon and others so little to deliv- operating expenses, according to its railed against in his criticisms of the which is not true, and so hurts other he took office in January. er their packages, making Amazon website. news media. retailers, part of a pattern by the for- Daniel Ives, a research analyst at richer and the Post Office dumber The U.S. president does not deter- In tweets over the past year, Trump mer businessman and reality televi- GBH Insights, said Trump’s com- and poorer? Should be charging mine postal rates. They are set by has said the “Amazon Washington sion host of periodically turning his ment could be taken as a warning to MUCH MORE!” Trump wrote on the Postal Regulatory Commission, Post” fabricated stories. He has said an independent government agency Amazon does not pay sales tax, ire on big American companies since the retail giant. TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2018 C2 BUSINESS ping greenhouse gases in the world after China. Federal Report Says Humans Are Reached at the end of 2015, the Paris accord is one of the most comprehensive climate change agreements ever passed. It is nota- The Cause Of Climate Change ble because it included countries like China, Compiled And Edited By John T. Robbins, Southern Daily Editor which pollute heavily but have not signed on very likely continue to increase in frequency change including removing the US from the ure source: Hartmann et al. 2013, to climate deals before. Nicaragua and Syria and intensity throughout most of the world Paris Accord, placing a climate change de- Figure 2-11; © IPCC, used with both didn’t sign the deal at the time: Nicara- (high confidence),” said the report. nier at the helm of the Environmental Pro- permission). gua claimed it wasn’t ambitious enough, but Surface temperature change (in °F) tection Agency (EPA), and nominating one reversed its course last month and decided People walk past the ‘Climate Plan- In regards to the report released on Novem- for the period 1986–2015 relative to to lead NASA. Under the Trump presidency, to sign the deal anyway, calling it “the only et,’ an exhibition and film venue at ber 4,, Penn State University geoscientist 1901–1960 from the NOAA National the EPA has stopped researchers from speak- instrument that currently allows this unity the COP 23 United Nations Climate Richard Alley told NPR, “This is good, solid Centers for Environmental Informa- ing about climate changeand deleted climate of intentions and efforts,” according to The Change Conference on November climate science. This has been reviewed so tion’s (NCEI) surface temperature change information from its website while New York Times. 6th, 2017, in Bonn, Germany. (Pho- many times in so many ways, and it’s taking product. For visual clarity, statisti- the Department of Agriculture has pressed to Sean Gallup/Getty Images) its staff to not refer to climate change in their what we know from ... a couple of centuries cal significance is not depicted on communications. of climate science and applying it to the Compiled And Edited By John T. Robbins, this map. Changes are generally U.S.” Michael Mann, director of the Earth Southern Daily Editor significant (at the 90% level) over System Science Center at Penn State Univer- On November 4, 2017, over a dozen federal most land and ocean areas. Chang- sity told the New York Times, “This new re- agencies released the Climate Science Spe- es are not significant in parts of the port simply confirms what we already knew. cial Report, which is a product of the Nation- North Atlantic Ocean, the South Human-caused climate change isn’t just a al Climate Assessment -- a congressionally Pacific Ocean, and the southeast- theory, it’s reality. Whether we’re talking mandated review that takes place every four about unprecedented heat waves, increasing- years. In it, hundreds of scientists from doz- ern United States. There is insuffi- cient data in the Arctic Ocean and ly destructive hurricanes, epic drought and ens of government agencies and academic in- inundation of our coastal cities, the impacts stitutions present evidence that supports the Antarctica for computing long-term changes (those sections are shown of climate change are no longer subtle. They existence of a human-caused warming planet are upon us. That’s the consensus of our best Trends in the annual number of in gray because no trend can be and all of the consequences that come with scientists, as laid bare by this latest report.” large fires in the western United derived). The relatively coarse res- Global mean energy budget of it. “This assessment concludes, based on ex- (Courtesy engadget) States for a variety of ecoregions. tensive evidence, that it is extremely likely olution (5.0° × 5.0°) of these maps Earth under present-day climate The black lines are fitted trend that human activities, especially emissions does not capture the finer details conditions. Numbers state mag- Climate Change Special Report Website lines. Statistically significant at a of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause associated with mountains, coast- nitudes of the individual energy 10% level for all regions except the of the observed warming since the mid-20th lines, and other small-scale effects fluxes in watts per square meter You can read the full Climate Science Spe- Snake Plain/Columbian Plateau, century,” the report stated. “For the warming (see Ch. 6: Temperature Changes (W/m2) averaged over Earth’s cial Report here: https://science2017.global- Basin and Range, and Mediterra- over the last century, there is no convincing for a focus on the United States). surface, adjusted within their change.gov/ nean California regions. (Figure alternative explanation supported by the ex- (Figure source: updated from Vose uncertainty ranges to balance Related source: Dennison et al. ). tent of the observational evidence.” et al. 2012 ). the energy budgets of the atmo- The special report notes that each of the last Also noted, was the importance of reduc- sphere and the surface. Numbers The US Is Now The Only Syria didn’t join the deal initially because three years have set temperature highs and it’s been embroiled in a civil war since 2011. ing emissions for any hope of curtailing the in parentheses attached to the C o u n t r y I n T h e W o r l d T o that global temperature averages have risen The Syrian government is under European negative outcomes of climate change. “The energy fluxes cover the range of Reject The Paris Climate Deal by 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit over the last 115 magnitude of climate change beyond the and American sanctions, so it couldn’t send years. It also warns that weather disasters values in line with observational After Syria Signs Up representatives abroad to negotiate or sign next few decades will depend primarily on constraints. Fluxes shown include like hurricanes and floods that have cost the On November 4, 2017,, Syria announced the agreement, according to The New York the amount of greenhouse gases (especially those resulting from feedbacks. US $1.1 trillion since 1980 could become that it would sign the Paris climate agree- Times. Today, however, during United Na- carbon dioxide) emitted globally. Without Note the net imbalance of 0.6 W/m2 more commonplace if action isn’t taken to major reductions in emissions, the increase ment — a landmark deal that commits al- tions climate talks, the country announced it in the global mean energy budget. reduce our emissions. “The frequency and in annual average global temperature rela- most 200 countries to reducing greenhouse would sign the Paris deal. It’s not clear what The observational constraints are intensity of extreme high temperature events tive to preindustrial times could reach 9°F gas emissions to fight global warming. With has changed, the Times says, and Syria still are virtually certain to increase in the future (5°C) or more by the end of this century,” largely provided by satellite-based Nicaragua also joining the deal last month, has to submit its targets for cutting green- as global temperature increases (high con- the report stated. observations, which have directly the United States is now the only country in house gases. fidence). Extreme precipitation events will The report released today -- an exhaustive measured solar and infrared fluxes the world that opposes it. Still, today’s announcement leaves the Unit- compilation of research totaling over 600 at the top of the atmosphere over In June, President Donald Trump announced ed States more isolated than ever. “With pages and peer reviewed by the National nearly the whole globe since 1984. that the US will withdraw from the Paris cli- Syria’s decision, the relentless commitment Academy of Sciences -- is just the first of , More advanced satellite-based mate accord, unless it is renegotiated to be of the global community to deliver on Paris two. A second, longer volume detailing the measurements focusing on the “fair” to the United States. But other coun- is more evident than ever,” Paula Caballero, regional impacts of climate change is not role of clouds in Earth’s radiative tries in the deal, such as , Germany, director of the climate change program at the yet finalized, but is open for public com- fluxes have been available since and Italy, said that’s not possible. The Trump World Resources Institute, told the Times. “The US’s stark isolation should give Trump ment and will soon undergo peer review. 1998. Top of Atmosphere (TOA) re- administration is also taking steps to roll reason to reconsider his ill-advised an- Somewhat surprisingly, today’s report was flected solar values given here are back regulations passed under former Presi- approved by the White House even though dent Barack Obama to achieve the emissions nouncement and join the rest of the world in based on observations 2001–2010; tackling climate change.” (Courtesy www. the Trump administration has repeatedly TOA outgoing longwave is based reduction goals set under the Paris deal. The US is the second largest emitter of heat-trap- theverge.com) worked against efforts to combat climate on 2005–2010 observations. (Fig- Tuesday, January 2, 2017 C3 A Snapshot Of The World

A stamp issued by the State Stamp Bureau to commemorate the test-launch of the new type of intercontinental ballistic rocket Hwasong-15 is seen in this photo released by North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency People shop during New Year preparations in Divisoria, Manila

FILE PHOTO: Oskar Groening, defendant and former Nazi SS officer dubbed the A vendor sells apples at a fruit stall ahead of New Year celebrations in Divisoria, Manila “bookkeeper of Auschwitz”, leaves the court after the announcement of his verdict in ect, July 2015

Frédéric Fugen and Vincent Reffet Dance for Good Looking back at the best Red Bull stories from 2017, here we remember back in November If cutting out alcohol and going to the gym to shed the Christmas excess doesn’t tickle your when the Soul Flyers’ - Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet jumped off the top of mount Jungfrau in the fancy… Perhaps pursuing one of these alternatives in the big outdoors may be the New Year’s Swiss Alps and pull off a 3,000 metre freefall BASE jump back INTO an aeroplane moving at resolution for you! Jarrell Mathebula and friends perform in the Dance for Good project, 130km/h. Soul Flyers fly in project ‘A Door in the Sky’ in Switzerland on October 13, 2017

From a soaring Air Race plane upside down over the centre of A barber colours the digits of number 2018 that he trimmed From a soaring Air Race plane upside down over the centre of Warsaw to the human acrobatics of Art in Motion in gorgeous in a man’s beard to welcome the New Year inside a barber- Warsaw to the human acrobatics of Art in Motion in gorgeous Santorin, the world of Red Bull reached some of its greatest shop in Ahmedabad heights in 2017. Santorin, the world of Red Bull reached some of its greatest heights in 2017. TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2018 C4 COMMUNITY By Winnie Yu, Southern Daily Reporter - Gold - Houston Community College - HOUSTON [November 27, 2017] – Curi- Invention, Creation And Innovation: Open Your Path to Success osity, imagination and a desire to make the •Flier (single or series) - Bronze - world a better place through innovation HCC Thrives At Houston Maker Faire Houston Community College - Red Way were three of the common denominators Compiled And Edited By John T. Robbins, Southern Daily Editor •Postcard (single or series) - shared by thousands of high school and Silver - Houston Community College college students who attended the Hous- - Sunny Girl ton Maker Faire. The event took place •Notes/Cards/Invitations (single or series) Oct. 21 – 22 at the George R. Brown Con- - Silver - Houston Community College - vention Center. It brought together what State of the College invitation many consider, the next generation of en- •Website - Gold - Houston Communi- trepreneurs. ty College - HCC website The Houston Maker Faire is a massive •Video Shorts (single or series) - gathering of students and educators, who Silver - Houston Community College - show, share and compete with projects de- Apple iOS Coding Design School (series) signed to solve problems. Houston Com- munity College had its own Innovation •Original Photography (Manipu- Pavilion at the event. More than 100 HCC lated) - Bronze - Houston Community faculty and staff checked in as exhibitors. College - Keep Your Head Up Students focused their efforts on topics •Computer-Generated Illustra- that ranged from environmental issues to tion - Bronze - Houston Community consumer needs. College - San Jacinto Memorial Building Ravi Brahmbhatt, Director of Student In- hand drawing. novation and Entrepreneurship at HCC, •Silver – Houston Community College took several students to showcase their - Lasso a New Career work. He was inspired to see the growing •Computer-Generated Illus- enthusiasm of young problem-solvers. tration - Gold - Houston Community College - Dancing the Night Away at the Miller Outdoor eater, Houston, TX sion of the future. “The Houston Maker At the annual convention of the Nation- For Brian Waddle, HCC director of cre- •Print Advertisement (single or Faire and the IDEAS pitch competition al Council for Marketing and Public Re- ative services and lead coordinator in most series) - Silver - Houston Community have been incredible platforms for talent- lations District 4, Houston Community winning entries, these 14 awards point to College - Lasso a New Career ed young minds,” Sarkar explained. “I am College received 14 Medallion Awards for the cohesiveness within HCC Communi- •Wild Card -Bronze - Houston in awe at how passionate my classmates marketing products. According to HCC cations Services. Community College - Gotham Sketch are about changing the world for the bet- Chancellor Cesar Maldonado, winning “We collaborated as a team on these beau- Typeface ter.” these awards represents a testament to ex- tiful artistic pieces,” Waddle said. “We The awards provided the entire team an Some of the winning projects present- cellence in execution. are also working with our whole team incentive to come up with innovative “We had one of the largest turnouts this ed by students included a system that “I am so proud of our marketing and com- from the different HCC colleges to make ways to represent the college in the future. year,” Brahmbhatt said. “I am so proud of uses drones and GPS tracking to identify munications team. The winning products exceptional products that are relevant to “We do not feel these awards are going our HCC students for sharing their cool swarms of mosquitoes to reduce diseases. show the passion and commitment of each students and relevant to the community.” projects and classroom technology. We are to translate into pressure,” Waddle said. Another winning invention was a fiber- individual who collaborated in their cre- They serve the purpose of providing us also very thankful to our deans and chairs glass pipe for the oil and gas industry de- ation,” said Maldonado. for coming and networking with the com- with the challenge to represent our HCC signed to reduce the possibility of spills. One of the entries that won gold in the munity.” brand in the highest way possible.” “By giving them tech and up-skill train- brochures category was a pocket size About HCC One of the participants was Ursela Knox, ing, we help students gain tools to inspire foldable brochure called “Open Your Path Houston Community College (HCC) is an HCC Business Management student. action,” Brahmbhatt added. “We encour- to Success.” For Kenneth Holden, dean of composed of 15 Centers of Excellence Her invention was a transportation system age students to come up with innovations. student services at HCC Northeast Col- and numerous satellite centers that serve that moves people from rural areas to sec- We believe they will trigger others to do lege, this brochure has become a turnkey the diverse communities in the Greater tors with better employment and educa- the same.” product for prospect students. tional opportunities. Houston area by preparing individuals to Related “The reason why I believe it is so effective live and work in an increasingly interna- “I am pleased at the public’s approval,” The winning entries were: is because it gives individuals who want tional and technological society. HCC is Knox said. “I am glad they thought my HCC Communications Services to get an associate degree a glance into •Class Schedule - Bronze - Houston one of the country’s largest singly-accred- project was something needed. I got all the programs we offer and the locations Community College - Continuing Educa- ited, open-admission, community colleges thumbs up.” Wins Big At NCMPR Convention we have,” Holden said. “I have made it a tion Summer Catalog offering associate degrees, certificates, Bhaskar Sarkar, an international student HOUSTON [December 4, 2017] – Hous- priority for our recruiters to disseminate •Newsletter - Bronze - Houston Com- workforce training, and lifelong learning who recently arrived at HCC from Ban- ton Community College Communication it in all our tours and student engagement munity College - Campus Connection opportunities. To learn more, visit www. gladesh, was impressed by his peers’ vi- Services is celebrating a proud distinction. functions.” •Brochure (single or series) hccs.edu. Tuesday, January 2, 2017 C5 Local Business Houston’s housing stock tops $393 billion, Zillow reports

By Katherine Feser

Collectively, homes in the Houston metro totaled $393.4 billion in value in 2017, up 5.4 percent over the past year, according to an analysis by Zillow. That outpaced last year’s gain, when the total value of homes in the Houston market went up 1.2 percent. That places the value of all the homes in the greater Houston area somewhere between the GDP of Peru and Norway. Richest Texas billionaires at the end of 2017 The rise in local values compares with a 6.5 percent gain for the U.S. housing stock, which added $2 trillion in value In March, business magazine 2017 for a total of $31.8 trillion, according to Zillow. The Forbes released its annual list Madrid, Spain value grew at its fastest annual pace in four years. of the richest billionaires in the Sydney, Australia Three cities contributed more than $1 trillion each to the world. New York, USA tally: Los Angeles ($2.7 trillion), New York ($2.6 trillion), The rankings of more than Tokyo, Japan and San Francisco ($1.4 trillion). 2,000 billionaires have been , United “This was a record year for home values as the national used as a nifty tool to keep track Arab Emirates housing stock reached record heights in 2017,” Zillow senior of the globe’s richest and how Las Vegas, USA economist Aaron Terrazas said in an announcement. they got wealthy. Rio de Janeiro, “Strong demand from buyers and the ongoing inventory Nonetheless, eight months have Vienna, shortage keep pushing values higher, especially in some of passed since the rankings were Austria London, the nation’s booming coastal markets.” compiled, and money is made England Bang- Other Texas cities of the 35 markets tracked showed higher and lost every day. kok, ThailandTo percentage gains than Houston. Dallas gained 12.3 percent For example, Amazon CEO and gather some ideas, to $517.8 billion, Austin gained 7.8 percent to $174.7 billion, Founder Jeff Bezos was listed Chron.com put and San Antonio gained 7.1 percent to $125.4 billion. with a net worth of $72.8 billion together a list of most money. Along with Dallas, other markets with double-digit growth in Forbes’ 2017 ranking, but as the New Year’s resolu- were Columbus, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa, Las Vegas and year comes to an end, his net worth tion for Houston, As the 31st approach, Houstonians had no doubt reflected Charlotte, N.C.Brent for March settlement rose 20 cents to has soared to $99.6 billion. or things Bayou on the wild year that was 2017. $66.36 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe To see who came out on top in Texas, City should work The Super Bowl, Hurricane Harvey, and the Astros’ World exchange. The February contract expired Thursday, after Chron.com put together a list using to complete or Series win are at the forefront of the historic year. rising 28 cents to $66.72. The benchmark for more than half Forbes’ real-time net worth tracker, avoid in the up- With a jam-packed 2017, it begs the question, what should the world’s oil has gained 17 percent this year, after climbing giving a good idea of which Lone Star coming year. Houstonians strive for in 2018? 52 percent in 2016. It was at a premium of $6.27 to March State billionaires ended 2017 with the